Assessment Of Uric Acid Levels In Agitated Mania And Other Agitated Non-Affective Psychotic Disorders- A One Year Hospital Based Comparative Study

Abstract

Introduction: Studies have shown role of purines and purinergic system in psychiatric disorders. Also, agitation as a separate entity has been found to be associated with hyperuricemia and uricosuria. Objective: To assess uric acid levels in patients with agitated mania and to compare them with levels in patients having agitated non-affective psychotic disorders Methods: A cross-sectional study comparing serum uric acid levels in 100 inpatients, aged 18 years and older, of either sex, with ICD-10 DCR diagnosis of mania and non-affective psychotic disorders admitted in acute agitation. YMRS, BPRS and ABS rating scales were applied for assessment of severity of mania, psychosis and agitation. Scores obtained were correlated with uric acid levels using pearson’s correlation coefficient. P value was obtained using fisher’s exact test and paired-t test. Results: Uric acid levels were found to be significantly higher in individuals suffering from mania than those with non-affective psychosis (p=0.0381). Similarly, a significant positive correlation was found between uric acid and YMRS scores (r=0.3433). A significant correlation of uric acid levels was found with agitation in psychotic individuals (r=0.2949). Conclusion: Uric acid level is found to be significantly higher in individuals suffering from mania and correlates well with symptom severity. However, even though uric acid levels were insignificant in psychotic disorders they correlated to agitation in this subgroup.