Increased Uric Acid Levels in the Urine

 

 

The breakdown pathway from purines nucleotides to uric acid.

 

Chemistry

Uric acid is derived from the breakdown of DNA and RNA.  This is taking place continuously in the body as large numbers of cells are produced and replaced, particularly from the blood.

 

No increase in such a turnover has been found so far in ASD.   The finding was purely by accident and must be repeated with a larger group of autistic patients.

Biochemistry in autism

  • A subset of autistics seem to have the high urate in the urine (about 20% of them)
  • In autistics it is also derived from purines
  • It is not claimed as being in any way the cause of the condition and xanthine oxidase inhibitors have not been tested as a mode of treatment.  I could not find reports of other signs of urate excess (gout, tophi in the ears etc) in ASD.

 

 

 

 

 

Raised uric acid in urine (a subgroup of autistics?)

 

Page T, Moseley C. Metabolic treatment of hyperuricosuric autism. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry. 2002 Feb;26(2):397-400.  An autistic child with a raised level of uric acid in urine was given a rising dose of uridine daily for 2 years, during which there was a good improvement.  The reason for this is unclear and there were no controls.  The author explains how this may be taking place in the biochemistry of the  body.

 

Page T, Coleman M. Purine metabolism abnormalities in a hyperuricosuric subclass of autism. Biochim Biophys Acta. 2000 Mar 17;1500(3):291-6. These hyperuricosuric autistic individuals may comprise approx. 20% of the autistic population.  He found that this was due to excess production of urate from nucleoside compounds.

 

Return to home page