Increased uric acid levels in bipolar disorder: is it trait or state?

The aim of the present study was to compare uric acid levels between disease and remisson episodes of bipolar disorder (BD) and healthy individuals and to investigate whether uric acid levels were related with clinical properties and the course. Uric acid levels were compared in 43 BD patients with manic episode, 20 BD patients with depressive episode, 41 BD patients in remission and 43 healthy individuals. Informations regarding disorder was recorded using SKIP-TURK, the severity of episode was measured with Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS) and Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS). Uric acid levels were found higher in manic, depressive and euthymic bipolar patients than those in healthy individuals. In cases in remission period, a moderate relation was present between uric acid levels and the age of onset. A moderate relation was found in manic episode between first and second week YMRS scores and uric acid levels, and a strong relation was found in depressive episode between first and second week HDRS scores and uric acid levels. While decrease in uric acid levels in manic episode was found to be associated with the decrease in YMRS scores, no such relation was shown in depressive episode. Our findings stress the impairment in purinergic functions in all episodes of BD. This impairment seems to be associated with clinical properties of BD.