Uric acid as a scavenger in oxidative stress

Abstract Uric acid, the naturally occurring product of purine metabolism, is widely used as a diagnostic parameter in different diseases. The concentration of uric acid may vary between broad ranges without causing symptoms, like idiopathic hyperuricemia, which behind metabolic disorders were always suggested. Recently the uric acid has been shown as a strong scavenger of oxidative stress molecules or radicals. Uric acid was successfully used to treat experimental allergic encephalomyelitis, the mouse model of multiple sclerosis (M. S.). It was shown, that patients with multiple sclerosis had significantly lower levels of serum uric acid than the control persons. In addition, statistical evaluation of more than 20 million patient records for the incidence of MS and hyperuricemic gout revealed, that the hyperuricemia may protect against MS.