'Pseudohypouricosuria' in alcaptonuria: homogentisic acid interference in the measurement of urinary uric acid with the uricase-peroxidase reaction.

Urinary excretion of uric acid was found to be extremely low in a 58-year-old female patient with alcaptonuria. This was due to interference with the uricase-peroxidase method used, because analysis using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) showed a normal urinary concentration of uric acid. In vitro experiments demonstrated that a high concentration of homogentisic acid in the patient's urine inhibited the peroxidase reaction, possibly due to inhibition of the colour development of 3-methyl-N-ethyl-N-(beta-hydroxyethyl)aniline (MEHA) and 4-aminoantipyrine, via the peroxidase reaction. A homogentisic acid concentration equivalent to that in plasma did not affect the uricase-peroxidase reaction. This result suggests that any assay based on a peroxidase method is affected by a high urinary concentration of homogentisic acid in patients with alcaptonuria.