Spatiotemporal immune gradients in gout: immune response–driven activation of the NLRP3–IL-1β axis and its transition to trained immunity

Gout is a crystal-associated autoinflammatory disease triggered by monosodium urate (MSU) crystals, clinically characterized by recurrent transitions between acute inflammatory flares dominated by innate immunity and a state of "trained immunity" during the remission phase. However, previous studies have mostly focused on single time points or local lesions. Such approaches fail to systematically explain the recurrent nature of acute gout flares and the mechanisms underlying multi-system involvement. By integrating evidence from single-cell and spatial transcriptomics as well as mechanistic investigations, this review systematically summarizes the immunopathological features of gout within a spatiotemporal immune framework. At the temporal level, acute gout flares are driven by innate immune activation of the NOD-like receptor pyrin domain-containing protein 3 (NLRP3)-interleukin-1β (IL-1β) inflammatory cascade. The inflammation then undergoes self-limited resolution mediated by regulatory T cells (Tregs), M2-polarized macrophages, aggregated neutrophil extracellular traps (aggNETs), and pro-resolving lipid mediators. persistent low-grade activation of monocytes/macrophages can still be observed, sustaining a state of "trained immunity." At the spatial level, integrated evidence indicates an immune gradient across the joint, bone, and circulation, ranging from focal hyper-inflammation to systemic low-grade activation. Based on these findings, we propose a time-window stratified intervention strategy centered on the NLRP3-IL-1β axis, and identify inflammatory markers in the joints, subchondral bone, and peripheral blood as the basis for spatially targeted stratification. These insights provide novel perspectives for shifting gout management from the control of individual flares to recurrence risk management and personalized therapy.