Uric Acid, 24-Hour Urine

Even mild renal failure decreases uric acid excretion. Uric acid excretion is decreased with hypertension.

A young patient with acute gouty arthritis, uric acid stones, and any patient who excretes >1000 mg uric acid/24 hours, should be evaluated for HPRT deficiency.² The uric acid:creatinine ratio has been used as a test for Lesch-Nyhan syndrome (HPRTase deficiency). Normal control patients 0.21−0.59; partial enzyme deficient group 0.62−2.00; complete enzyme deficiency 1.98−5.35.³

The ratio of uric acid:creatinine in morning samples of urine has been used as a test for detection of the Lesch-Nyhan syndrome, which is associated with virtually complete absence of activity of the enzyme hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyltransferase. This ratio has also been applied to 24-hour urine samples from adult patients with gout for detection of partial deficiency of the same enzyme. The uric acid:creatinine ratio in the urine of normal control patients is reported to range from 0.21−0.59. Patients with gout exhibit ratios of 0.15−0.73, whereas those patients with hyperuricemia associated with another disorder such as leukemia or glycogen-storage disease have ratios of 0.25−1.77. The ratio is 0.27−0.58 for patients with nongouty arthritis. Patients with complete hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyltransferase deficiency are reported to have urinary uric acid:creatinine ratios of 1.98−5.35, as compared to 0.62−2.00 for patients with gout accompanied by partial enzyme deficiency.

The ratio of uric acid:creatinine concentration on a random urine specimen has also been shown to be >1.0 in patients with acute renal failure secondary to acute uric acid nephropathy, but <1.0 in patients with acute renal failure resulting from other causes.