Serum uric acid levels and different phases of illness in bipolar I patients treated with lithium

Psychiatry Res. 2015 Feb 28;225(3):604-8. doi: 10.1016/j.psychres.2014.11.038. Epub 2014 Dec 17.

Abstract

Recent findings support the role of purinergic system dysfunction in the pathophysiology of bipolar disorder (BD). The present study aimed to evaluate the pattern of serum uric acid levels in a sample of 98 BD I patients followed-up prospectively in a naturalistic study and treated with lithium monotherapy or in association with other mood stabilizers (valproate or carbamazepine), in relation to different phases of illness and to pharmacological treatment. The results showed that uric acid levels were significantly higher in patients suffering from a manic/mixed episode, than in those euthymic or during a depressive phase. Further, these levels were related to the Clinical Global Impression-Bipolar Version (CGI-BP) scale score for the severity of manic symptoms. A positive correlation was found also with male sex and with serum lithium levels. These findings suggest that a dysregulation of the purinergic system may occur during manic/mixed episodes, and they support a possible role of serum uric acid levels as a state-dependent marker of BD manic phases.

Keywords: Biological marker; Bipolar disorder; Lithium; Purinergic system; Uric acid.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Antimanic Agents / therapeutic use*
  • Bipolar Disorder / blood*
  • Bipolar Disorder / drug therapy
  • Carbamazepine / therapeutic use
  • Drug Therapy, Combination
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Lithium Compounds / blood
  • Lithium Compounds / therapeutic use*
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Sex Factors
  • Uric Acid / blood*
  • Valproic Acid / therapeutic use

Substances

  • Antimanic Agents
  • Lithium Compounds
  • Uric Acid
  • Carbamazepine
  • Valproic Acid