Uric acid levels in serum in the assessment of some psychiatric disorders in India

Background: The increasing number of latent and manifest hyperuricemia is important concerning differential diagnosis in neurological and psychiatric diseases. The pathological importance of hyperuricemia in these diseases is particularly unknown. Previous studies have shown that uric acid estimation in cerebrospinal fluid was made with neurological and psychiatric diseases. Monitoring serum uric acid levels, a relatively inexpensive and easily available test, may prove to be a useful adjunct in the assessment of certain indices of certain psychiatric illness. Tranquilizers like 1,4 - benzodiazepine (purinergic) are shown to decrease xanthine oxidase activity initially and may cause fluctuations in serum uric acid levels. Objective: In the present study an attempt was made to understand the effect of tranquilizers on serum uric acid levels in different psychiatric conditions. Methods: 40 cases (22 males and 18 females) of MDP (Maniac depressive psychosis) and Schizophrenia who were undergoing treatment with different tranquilizers from the psychiatric hospital, Patna, India and