EmpeiriaUrate
Also known as
urate, uric acid, gout test
C₅H₄N₄O₃ small molecule
What this substance is
- formula
- C₅H₄N₄O₃
- mass
- 168.112 g/mol
- monoisotopic
- 168.02834
- charge
- 0
- InChIKey
- LEHOTFFKMJEONL-UHFFFAOYSA-N
- ChEBI
- CHEBI:17775
- CAS
- 69-93-2
Drawn from ChEBI's own curated 2D drawing, accepted only after its InChIKey, formula and charge matched the ChEBI release. Nothing here is hand-entered. Two masses are given because they answer different questions: the average is natural-abundance weighted and drives unit conversion; the monoisotopic value uses only the commonest isotope of each element and is what mass spectrometry measures.
3D model · Urate
Generated by RDKit from ChEBI's verified structure, and accepted only because its own 3D geometry reproduces ChEBI's InChIKey. A flexible molecule takes many shapes; this is one low-energy one. Drag to rotate, scroll to zoom.
Reference ranges
Checking your own result against this range needs the running application; this is a static copy. Nothing you type anywhere in Empeiria is ever sent to a server.
This open edition shows a range only where a public-domain or openly licensed source states one, and none does for this marker yet. Compare your result with the range printed on your own lab report.
How it is measured
In practice
Uric acid can be checked in blood or in urine. For the blood test, a health worker takes blood from a vein in your arm. For the urine test, you collect all your urine for 24 hours in a special container kept cold. You may be asked not to eat or drink for 4 hours before the blood test.
Serum/blood uric acid is drawn by venipuncture (antecubital vein or back of the hand); a separate 24-hour urine collection, refrigerated or on ice, measures urinary uric acid. Fasting for 4 hours before the blood test is advised unless told otherwise. Many drugs, including aspirin, and niacin (vitamin B3) can affect levels.
Before the test
- Do not eat or drink for 4 hours before the blood test, unless told otherwise.
- Tell your provider about every medicine you take, including aspirin and niacin; do not stop any without asking.
Where: laboratory
Sources: Uric Acid Test, MedlinePlus (U.S. National Library of Medicine); Uric acid - blood, MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia cited · not yet checked by a person
In the lab
Uricase peroxidase
An enzyme breaks urate down and releases a small amount of peroxide, which is then used to make a colour that the machine can measure.
Uricase oxidises urate to allantoin with hydrogen peroxide as a by-product, quantified by a peroxidase-coupled chromogen.
- Read by: Absorbance at 550 nm
Sources: Koerbin G et al. Bias Assessment of General Chemistry Analytes using Commutable Samples. Clin Biochem Rev 2014;35:203-211 (PMC4310060); NHANES 2017-2018 Laboratory Procedure Manual, Uric Acid, CDC/NCHS cited · not yet checked by a person
What it reports on
-
kidney
cleared by
The kidneys filter uric acid out of the blood and remove about two-thirds of it.
-
liver
synthesized by
Uric acid is made mainly in the liver, intestines and blood vessel lining from purines.
Associated symptoms
Conditions this marker features in
-
high
A cluster of risks that travel together
· supportive
Higher urate levels are linked with metabolic syndrome, even within the normal range.
-
high
Gout
· supportive
A required item in the 2015 ACR/EULAR classification criteria (a classification tool, not a diagnostic test); a level below 4 mg/dL counts against gout. It is often normal during a flare, so it is best measured away from one.
-
high
Too many red blood cells
· supportive
In polycythaemia vera, the bone-marrow form, uric acid results can be affected, and gout is a possible complication.