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Colchicine Inhibits Chemokine Production in Monosodium Urate-Stimulated Innate Immune Cells
Laura M Merlo Pich1, Titus Schlüter1, Andrei Sarlea1
1Department of Internal Medicine and Radboud Center for Infectious Diseases, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands.
ACR Open Rheumatology
|June 23, 2026
Summary
Colchicine reduces inflammatory chemokine production and monocyte activity in vitro. This study investigated colchicine
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Colchicine treats innate immune diseases like gout, but its effects on monocytes and lymphocytes are unclear.
- Monocytes and lymphocytes are crucial for sustained inflammation during gout flares.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the in vitro effects of colchicine on peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) stimulated with monosodium urate (MSU) crystals.
- To understand colchicine's impact on monocyte and PBMC inflammatory responses.
Main Methods:
- Primary PBMCs and monocytes were preincubated with colchicine, then stimulated with MSU crystals and lipopolysaccharide.
- Assays included cytokine quantification, chemotaxis, RNA analysis, metabolic profiling, ROS activity, and phagocytosis.
Main Results:
- Colchicine inhibited MCP-1 chemokine secretion and production at both mRNA and protein levels.
- No significant inhibition of IL-1β, IL-6, or TNF cytokines was observed.
- Colchicine reduced monocyte ROS production, phagocytosis, and altered cellular metabolism (glycolysis and oxidative phosphorylation).
Conclusions:
- Colchicine's anti-inflammatory effects in monocytes and PBMCs involve reduced chemokine production and chemoattraction.
- Metabolic changes and decreased ROS production contribute to colchicine's anti-inflammatory action.
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