Hyperuricemia in chronic beryllium disease.

Abstract

Hyperuricemia has been noted in 6 of 15 patients (40%) with chronic beryllium poisoning. In four patients studied in detail the elevated serum urate appears to result from a diminished renal clearance of uric acid rather than from an increased production of this compound. Although the exact mechanism for this is not apparent, there is presently no detectable correlation between the occurrence of hyperuricemia and the type of exposure, duration, or severity of the disease or presence of beryllium in the urine. Despite the high incidence of hyperuricemia in this group of patients, gout was uncommon, occurring in only one patient in the group.