Serum urate concentrations in homozygous sickle cell disease

Serum and urinary urate concentrations were studied in 44 patients with homozygous sickle cell (SS) disease, and in 27 controls with normal haemoglobin. Hyperuricaemia (>0·39 mmol/l (6·5 mg/100 ml)) occurred in 41% of SS patients and inversely correlated with renal urate clearance but not with indices of bone marrow turnover. Higher serum urate concentrations occurred in patients with proteinuria, probably due to associated tubular damage. Higher serum urate concentrations and lower urate clearance occurred in males compared to females.