Special Precautions/Comments:

In acute attack levels can be normal. Contact rheumatology if advice required.

Additional Information:

Uric acid, or urate, is the final product of purine nucleotide metabolism. Urate combines with sodium to form the salt monosodium urate. Monosodium urate has low solubility and at increased levels leads to formation of crystals which can result in gout and/or renal damage.  

Measurement of urate is therefore useful in the investigation and diagnosis of gout. Urate levels should be also monitored in patients undergoing chemotherapy who may be at risk of tumour lysis syndrome due to increased nucleic acid turnover. Increased uric acid can also be seen in pre-eclampsia. Although urate is not diagnostic of pre-eclampsia due to its poor sensitivity and specificity, increased levels may provide an early warning.  

Hypouricaemia is uncommon and not usually of clinical significance.