PARIS — Serum urate levels are often normal during acute gouty arthritis attacks, according to Dr. Naomi Schlesinger.
In a study of 339 patients, 29% of individuals on chronicallopurinol had a true-normal serum urate level, defined as 6 mg/dL or less. Among patients not on the hypouricemic agent, 11% had a true-normal serum urate level during an acute episode, said Dr. Schlesinger, chief of rheumatology at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Camden, N.J.
With a less stringent definition of normal serum urate—a value of 8 mg/dL or less—49% of allopurinol users were classified as having a normal level during their acute attack, as were 29% not on allopurinol, according to data she presented at the annual congress of the European League Against Rheumatism.
The mean serum urate at baseline was 7.6 mg/dL in patients on long-term allopurinol and 8.5 mg/dL in those who weren't. Similarly, on day 8, following a week of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug therapy, the mean serum urate was 7.4 mg/dL in those on allopurinol and 8.7 mg/dL in those who were not.
Dr. Schlesinger disclosed that Merck & Co. provided her with access to data from two company-sponsored clinical trials as well as support in data analysis.