Urate: a novel biomarker of Parkinson's disease risk, diagnosis and prognosis.

A growing number of studies have correlated higher urate levels with a lower risk of developing Parkinson's disease (PD) and with a favorable rate of disease progression, indicating that urate could be an important biomarker of the pathophysiology underlying PD. Dietary and genetic determinants of urate have also been linked to a reduced risk or delayed onset of PD. Based on the known antioxidant and metal complexing properties of urate, together with evidence for oxidative stress as a contributor to neurodegeneration in PD, urate may serve as an endogenous neuroprotectant that helps reduce the risk and rate of the disease. In this article we review the convergent biological, epidemiological and clinical data that identify urate as a promising biomarker of the risk, diagnosis and prognosis of PD.