TLR2 and gout: In response to TLR2 ligands and crystals, monocytes in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from gout patients were shown to secrete higher IL-1β and other pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines compared to PBMCs from normal subjects, and the extent of IL-1β secretion was positively correlated to the annual number of acute gout attacks (21).