Uric Acid Levels Associated with Bipolar Disorder and Major Depression, States study

A recent study found the potential role of the purinergic system in the pathophysiology of mood disorders, specifically Bipolar Affective Disorder (BPAD) and Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). This system involves purines like uric acid and could be crucial in understanding the biological underpinnings of these conditions. The study highlighted that increased uric acid levels might significantly impact behaviors in individuals with BPAD and MDD.

This study investigated the relationship between blood uric acid levels and mental health conditions by focusing on BPAD subtypes (manic and depressive) and MDD. Also, the study examined how blood uric acid levels change following treatment and assessed the effectiveness of different treatment approaches in reducing these levels.

The individuals with a confirmed diagnosis of BPAD (either manic or depressive) or MDD according to the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10) were included in the study. Uric acid levels were measured at the beginning and at follow-up intervals. The study employed standardized rating scales to monitor symptom severity using the Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS) for manic symptoms and the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAM-D) for depressive symptoms. And a treatment response was defined as a 50% reduction in the initial scores on these scales. To analyze the data, the research used ANOVA to compare the 3 patient groups and paired sample t-tests to examine changes in uric acid levels before and after treatment.

The findings of this study revealed a significant positive correlation between the severity of mood disorder symptoms and serum uric acid levels across all 3 patient groups which were BPAD-mania, BPAD-depression, and MDD. Among these, the patients with BPAD-mania expressed the highest uric acid levels, averaging 5.2±0.9 mg/dL, followed by the individuals with BPAD-depression at 4.8±1.0 mg/dL, and MDD patients at 4.0±1.1 mg/dL.

Following treatment, a marked reduction in uric acid levels was observed across all the groups. BPAD-mania and BPAD-depression patients both experienced a decrease of 3.1 mg/dL, while MDD patients underwent a slightly greater reduction of 3.5 mg/dL. Also, while this reduction was strongly correlated with illness severity in BPAD-mania patients, such a correlation was not observed in BPAD-depression or MDD patients. The study found that different mood stabilizers like lithium carbonate, sodium valproate and carbamazepine, were equally effective in reducing serum uric acid levels, irrespective of the specific medication used. Overall, the findings suggest that dysfunction in the purine system might be a key factor in the development and progression of BPAD.

Source:

Immanuel, S., Kaki, A., Jetty, R. R., Vupputuri, S. M., K V, R., & R, A. S. (2024). Uric Acid as a Biomarker for Mood Disorders: A Comparative Study of Blood Uric Acid Levels Correlating With the Symptom Severity and Treatment Response. In Cureus. Springer Science and Business Media LLC. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.66784