Determination of Uric Acid in Urine by Fast-Scan Voltammetry (FSV) Using a Highly Activated Carbon Fiber Electrode

Uric acid (UA), (7,9-dihydro-1H-purine-2, 6, 8 (3H)-trione), is the principal end product of purine metabolism (1 ); therefore, determinations of UA in biological samples can serve as a marker in detection of disorders associated with purine metabolism, such as gout, Lesch-Nyhan syndrome (2,3 ), and others (4-6 ). Diagnosis is confirmed by monitoring UA serum, or urinary levels. Normal UA serum levels range from 4.1-8.8 (mg dl⁻¹ ), and urinary excretion is typically 250-750 mg/d¹ (7 ). In addition recent studies have identified UA as a strong determinant of antioxidant capacity in serum (8 ) and the antioxidant capacity of UA has been determined by a total oxidant scavenging capacity (TOSC) assay (9 ). Consequently, it is essential to develop a simple and rapid method for the determination of UA, for routine clinical analysis.