<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the correlations between
serum uric acid (UA) levels and the clinical and
cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)
parameters of
multiple sclerosis (MS).</p><p><b>
METHODS </b>The medical
reports of 47 MS
patients admitted to
Peking Union Medical College
Hospital during 2008 and 2010 were reviewed. And 49 age- and
gender -matched
cerebral infarction patients were enrolled as control. The mean
serum UA level of the MS
patients was compared with that of the
control group . The correlations between the UA levels and the clinical
parameters including
gender ,
disease duration,
relapse rate, and
disease disabilities as assessed by the Expanded Disability Status Scale score, were explored. Forty-one
patients had CSF examinations. The correlations between the UA levels and the CSF
parameters reflecting
inflammation and
tissue damage, including CSF
protein ,
white blood cell count ,
oligoclonal band , 24-hour
IgG index, and
myelin basic protein , were also investigated.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The mean
serum UA level in the MS
patients was lower than that in the
control group (247.75±52.59 µmol/L vs. 277.94±74.33 µmol/L, P=0.025) and inversely correlated with the
relapse rate (P=0.049). MS
patients with lower
serum UA levels tended to have higher
white blood cell counts and
myelin basic protein level. But there was no correlation between CSF
protein levels (r=0.165, P=0.273),
white blood cell counts (r=-0.051, P=0.732),
IgG index (r=0. 045, P=0.802), or
myelin basic protein level (r=-0.248, P=0.145) and the
serum UA level, respectively.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>In MS
patients , UA levels might partly reflect the extent of disability and
inflammation .</p>