INTERRELATION OF URIC ACID AND ETHANOL METABOLISM IN MAN*

Abstract

Traditionally, the drinking of large amounts of alcoholic beverages has been considered a common predisposing or precipitating cause of gout (1). Thus far, however, the possibility of a relationship between ethanol and urate metabolism does not seem to have been investigated. In an attempt to evaluate a possible effect of ethanol on uric acid metabolism, we have studied serum uric acid levels in patients intoxicated with ethanol. Having ob- served that ethanol leads to an elevation of serum uric acid concentration, we investigated the mecha- nisms of this effect.