title: Low serum urate levels are associated to female gender in multiple sclerosis patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Urate is a natural antioxidant and may prevent CNS tissue damage and the clinical manifestations of experimental autoimmune encephalitis. Results from clinical studies are conflicting and the contribution of urate to the pathogenesis of Multiple Sclerosis (MS) remains uncertain.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate serum urate levels in MS patients and their relationships with clinical, demographic and MRI variables.
  
  
  METHODS
  Levels of non-fasting serum uric acid and creatinine were determined by an automated enzymatic assay and glomerular filtration rate was assessed in 245 MS patients, in 252 age/sex-matched neurological controls (NC) and in 59 Healthy controls (HC).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Median serum urate levels did not differ between MS patients (3.8 mg/dL), HC (4.0 mg/dl) and NC (4.0 mg/dL). Serum urate levels were lower in females than in males in all groups (p = <0.0001). In female-MS, serum urate levels (3.2 mg/dL) were lower compared to those in female HC (3.8; p = 0.01) and NC (3.5 mg/dL; p = 0.02), whereas in male-MS they(4.8 mg/dL) did not differ from those in male HC (4.5 mg/dl) and NC (4.8 mg/dL). Urate concentrations trended to be lower in Clinically isolated syndromes suggestive of MS (3.7 mg/dL) and in relapsing MS (3.7 mg/dL), compared to patients with progressive MS (4.4 mg/dL; p = 0.06), and in patients with an annual relapse rate (ARR) >2 (3.3 mg/dL) than in those with an ARR ≤2: 3.9 mg/dL; p = 0.05). Significant lower serum urate levels were found in females than in males in all clinical MS subtypes (p<0.01), separately evaluated. Female sex (beta: -0.53; p<0.00001) was the most significant determinant of serum urate concentrations in MS patients on multivariate regression analysis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings suggest that low urate levels could be of significance in predominantly inflammatory phases of MS even at the early stage and mainly in females.
authors: Department of Neurosciences and Organs of Senses of the University of Bari, Bari, Italy.
authors: Stefano
authors: S
authors: Zoccolella
authors: Carla
authors: C
authors: Tortorella
authors: Pietro
authors: P
authors: Iaffaldano
authors: Vita
authors: V
authors: Direnzo
authors: Mariangela
authors: M
authors: D'Onghia
authors: Elena
authors: E
authors: Luciannatelli
authors: Damiano
authors: D
authors: Paolicelli
authors: Paolo
authors: P
authors: Livrea
authors: Maria
authors: M
authors: Trojano
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000097:blood*; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D012737:Sex Factors; D014527:Uric Acid / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D014527:Uric Acid