title: Serum uric acid levels and different phases of illness in bipolar I patients treated with lithium.
abstract: Recent findings support the role of purinergic system dysfunction in the pathophysiology of bipolar disorder (BD). The present study aimed to evaluate the pattern of serum uric acid levels in a sample of 98 BD I patients followed-up prospectively in a naturalistic study and treated with lithium monotherapy or in association with other mood stabilizers (valproate or carbamazepine), in relation to different phases of illness and to pharmacological treatment. The results showed that uric acid levels were significantly higher in patients suffering from a manic/mixed episode, than in those euthymic or during a depressive phase. Further, these levels were related to the Clinical Global Impression-Bipolar Version (CGI-BP) scale score for the severity of manic symptoms. A positive correlation was found also with male sex and with serum lithium levels. These findings suggest that a dysregulation of the purinergic system may occur during manic/mixed episodes, and they support a possible role of serum uric acid levels as a state-dependent marker of BD manic phases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, Via Savi 10, Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: Matteo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Muti
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Section of Psychiatry, University of Pisa, Via Roma 67, Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Del Grande
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Section of Psychiatry, University of Pisa, Via Roma 67, Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Musetti
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Section of Psychiatry, University of Pisa, Via Roma 67, Pisa, Italy. Electronic address: dmarazzi@psico.med.unipi.it.
authors.forename: Donatella
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Marazziti
authors.affiliation: Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, Via Savi 10, Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: Milo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Turri
authors.affiliation: Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, Via Savi 10, Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cirronis
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Section of Psychiatry, University of Pisa, Via Roma 67, Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: Irene
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Pergentini
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Section of Psychiatry, University of Pisa, Via Roma 67, Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: Martina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Corsi
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Section of Psychiatry, University of Pisa, Via Roma 67, Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: Liliana
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Dell'Osso
authors.affiliation: Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, Via Savi 10, Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: Giovanni Umberto
authors.initials: GU
authors.lastname: Corsini
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D018692:Antimanic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy; D002220:Carbamazepine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D018020:Lithium Compounds / Q000097:blood / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012737:Sex Factors; D014527:Uric Acid / Q000097:blood*; D014635:Valproic Acid / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D018692:Antimanic Agents; D018020:Lithium Compounds; D014527:Uric Acid; D002220:Carbamazepine; D014635:Valproic Acid
keywords: Biological marker; Bipolar disorder; Lithium; Purinergic system; Uric acid