Effect of purine restriction on serum and urine urate in normal subjects.

Abstract

We sought to determine in individual patients with gout the contribution which the diet was making to the serum urate concentration and the urine urate excretion. In order to interpret the results, we needed to know the findings in healthy subjects studied under similar conditions. Previous studies in 22 normal male subjects in USA (1) had shown an upper limit of urinary urate excretion on a purine-free diet of 575 mg (3.4 mmol) per 24 hours. The serum urate concentration and urine urate excretion reached a nadir after 5 days purine restriction, with a mean fall in the serum urate concentration of 1 mg/100 ml (0.06 mmol/1). Accordingly, we planned to compare the serum urate concentration and the mean 24 hour urinary urate excretion on a normal diet with values obtained after 5 days of a low purine diet. The resulting change would reflect the contribution by the purines in the normal Australian diet to the serum and the urine urate. The values during purine restriction would also provide information concerning the normal range for the 24 hour urinary urate excretion on a low purine food diet.KeywordsNormal DietSerum UrateSerum Urate ConcentrationPrincess Alexandra HospitalUric Acid ProductionThese keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.