The association between serum ferritin and uric acid in humans

OBJECTIVE

Urate forms a coordination complex with Fe(3+) which does not support electron transport. The only enzymatic source of urate is xanthine oxidoreductase. If a major purpose of xanthine oxidoreductase is the production of urate to function as an iron chelator and antioxidant, a system for coupling the activity of this enzyme to the availability of catalytically-active metal would be required. We tested the hypothesis that there is an association between iron availability and urate production in healthy humans by correlating serum concentrations of ferritin with uric acid levels.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The study population included 4932 females and 4794 males in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey III. They were 20 years of age or older and in good health.

RESULTS

Serum concentrations of ferritin correlated positively with uric acid levels in healthy individuals (R(2) = 0.41, p<0.001). This association was independent of an effect of gender, age, race/ethnic group, body mass, and alcohol consumption.

CONCLUSIONS

The relationship between serum ferritin and uric acid predicts hyperuricemia and gout in groups with iron accumulation. This elevation in the production of uric acid with increased concentrations of iron could possibly reflect a response of the host to diminish the oxidative stress presented by available metal as the uric acid assumes the empty or loosely bound coordination sites of the iron to diminish electron transport and subsequent oxidant generation.

Prevalence and incidence of the diagnosis of gout in Great Britain

A study in gout of the incidence of diagnosis from 1971 to 1975 and of the prevalence at 31 December 1975 was carried out in a representative general practice sample comprising 64 practices and a population numbering 1 in 145 of the total population of Great Britain. The results show an annual incidence in Great Britain from 1971 to 1975 varying from 0.25 to 0.35 per 1000 and an overall prevalence at 31 December 1975 of 2.6 per 1000. The prevalence in England was found to be significantly greater than in the rest of Great Britain and that in Wales to be significantly greater than in Scotland. In 10% of the cases the gout was believed to be secondary, with induction by diuretics being the most frequent cause. The prevalence of primary gout was estimated to be 2.3 per 1000.

A multi-disciplinary catalogue of uric acid literature of interest to behavioural scientists

The research on uric acid encompasses a large number of disciplines and their respective journals. This bibliography (1948 to 1972) was assembled to provide a co-ordinated reference to this source material for behavioural scientists.