Serum and 24-hour urinary uric acid levels in patients with urolithiasis

Abstract

Background: Renal stone disease is a common urologic disorder affecting a large number of patients around the world. Risk factors like anatomical abnormalities and genetic metabolic environmental and dietary parameters have important roles in urinary stone formation. One of its metabolic parameters is uric acid. Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the level of uric acid in serum and 24-hour urine samples of patients with urolithiasis and compare them with healthy general population. Materials and Methods: This was a case-control study performed in the urology clinic of Noor hospital, affiliated to Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, between February 2009 and July 2010. Patients diagnosed with urolithiasis were enrolled as the case group. Healthy subjects from the general population were recruited as the control group. The patients were referred to the laboratory for checking the serum and 24 hour urinary uric acid levels. Results: Forty five patients with renal stone and 90 healthy controls were enrolled. The level of serum uric acid was significantly higher among the patients (P = 0.003) and male patients had dramatically higher levels than females (P = 0.002); but, the urinary uric acid levels were not significantly different between the cases and the controls or the males and the females. Conclusions: Serum uric acid level may be useful in the screening of renal stones, especially in patients with a positive history of this disease. © 2015, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences.