| The slides stained with HE and our method were examined with a light microscope for the presence of urate crystals and diagnostic histologic features of gouty tophus. |
| If gout is untreated and the disease becomes advanced, deposits of urate crystals may form into nodules called tophi beneath the skin. |
| This may be due to genetic factors, but usually drugs including alcohol result in the low urate renal clearance. |
| Diagnosis is by removing fluid from an affected joint or tophus and identifying urate crystals under a polarized-light microscope. |
| These urate results strongly suggest that cherries can play an important role in fighting gout. |
| We have furthermore determined that urate microcrystals altered the phenotype of human neutrophils into a highly pro-inflammatory program. |
