Serum uric acid levels and the clinical characteristics of depression

Objective: This study was designed to investigate the correlation between serum uric acid (UA) levels and the clinical characteristics of depression. Design and methods: The serum HA levels were measured in 124 patients with depression, 660 patients with different types of other mental disorders (OMD) and 42 healthy subjects. Clinical characteristics of depression and OMD were also investigated. Results: Depressive patients (271.97 +/- 77.50 mu mol/L) had significantly lower UA levels than those with delirium, dementia, amnesia and other cognitive disorders (339.95 +/- 141.74 mu mol/L, P = 0.004), substances related disorders (359.61 +/- 125.02 mu mol/L, P = 0.022), schizophrenia (341.03 +/- 106.84 mu mol/L, P = 0.000), schizoaffective disorder (336.78 +/- 155.49 mu mol/L, P = 0.024), bipolar disorder (323.04 +/- 108.70 mu mol/L, P = 0.008) and the healthy control group (315.76 +/- 87.50 mu mol/L, P = 0.012). We also found that the HA levels of depressive patients normalised after a five week treatment with antidepressants. Conclusion: Our data suggested that a lowered HA level is another characteristic of depression. (C) 2011 The Canadian Society of Clinical Chemists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.