Calorimetric enzymic measurement of uric acid in serum.

Uric acid in serum was determined calorimetrically with a batch type microcalorimeter, by measuring the heat evolved during a coupled uricase/catalase enzymic reaction in tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane HCl buffer (pH 9.0 at 30 degrees C). Heat evolution and concentration are linearly related through the physiological range of serum uric acid concentrations and the method is free of interferences of the sort encountered with spectrophotometric methods. Precision and accuracy are good (CV, 2%) and the results correlate well with those obtained by a mechanized colorimetric uricase/peroxidase system.