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Description

Uric acid is a waste product of the body's metabolism of purines, which are found in certain foods. It is typically measured in a patient's serum, which is the liquid portion of the blood. To obtain a sample of serum for testing, a healthcare provider will draw blood from a vein in the patient's arm. The sample is then sent to a laboratory for analysis. The laboratory will measure the amount of uric acid in the sample using a method called enzymatic colorimetric assay. This method uses an enzyme to convert the uric acid in the sample into a colored product, which is then measured using a spectrophotometer. The amount of color produced is proportional to the amount of uric acid in the sample.

Synonyms

• urate

Other Sample Sources for This Test

• cerebrospinal fluid
• peritoneal fluid
• plasma
• saliva
• synovial fluid
• urine

Some Diseases Associated with an Abnormal Uric Acid

• benign hypertension
• diabetes mellitus
• Type 2 diabetes mellitus
• malignant neoplasm
• normal pregnancy
• asthma
• ischemic heart disease
• coronary atherosclerosis
• malignant pulmonary neoplasm
• acute myocardial infarction
• malignant female breast neoplasm
• pneumonia
• neurotic depression
• congestive heart failure
• hematologic malignancy
• malignant prostate neoplasm
• benign prostatic hypertrophy
• rheumatoid arthritis
• convulsions
• chronic kidney disease
• stroke
• nonmedicinal toxicity
• heat stroke
• gout
• renal calculi
• diffuse connective tissue disease
• acute renal failure

Detailed Laboratory Testing Information (use the custom search buttons below to find details on these topics)

All of the following must be considered when interpreting clinical findings and are too extensive to be covered on this site: