Uric acid estimation: a comparison of the manual uricase-UV and the phosphotungstate auto-analyzer methods.

1. Uric acid estimations by the uricase-UV and the autoanalyzer colorimetric procedures were compared. 2. At all levels of serum uric acid concentration measured, results with the uricase-UV method were significantly lower than those with the phosphotungstate method. 3. The data indicate that the critical uric acid level (measured by the autoanalyzer) at which allopurinol, uricosuric, and other agents are instituted should be decreased approximately 10 per cent when determinations are done by the uricase method.