IS THE PLASMA URIDINE LEVEL A MARKER OF THE OVERPRODUCTION OF URIC-ACID

To determine whether the plasma level of uridine can be used to identi fy patients with gout, the plasma concentration of uridine was determi ned in patients with gout and normal subjects. plasma uridine was sign ificantly higher in patients with gout than in normal subjects. it was also significantly higher in patients with gout of the overexcretion (of uric acid) type than in those with gout bf the underexcretion type , Plasma uridine was used to classify gout patients into underexcretio n and overexcretion types, with a diagnostic accuracy of 92.5%, Result s indicate that the plasma uridine concentration may be a marker of ur ic acid production and can be used to separate hyperuricemia into the overexcretion and underexcretion types. Copyright (C) 1997 by W.B. Sau nders Company.