European Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Reproductive Biology 77 (1998) 145–150 Lone hyperuricemia during pregnancy: Maternal and fetal outcomes a, a c b a * ´ Philippe Merviel , Rokaya Ba , Michel Beaufils , Gerard Breart , Jacques Salat-Baroux , a ,b Serge Uzan a Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Tenon’ s Hospital,4 Rue de la Chine, 75020 Paris, France b INSERM U 149, Cochin’ s Hospital, 123 Boulevard de Port-Royal, 75014 Paris, France c Department of Medicine and Arterial Hypertension, Tenon’ s Hospital,4 Rue de la Chine, 75020 Paris, France Received 26 June 1997; accepted 23 October 1997 Abstract Objective: Study of maternal and fetal consequences of lone hyperuricemia during pregnancy and demonstration that lone hyperuricemia is not a risk factor regarding the onset of preeclampsia. Study design: Retrospective study of two groups of women, one found to have lone hyperuricemia during pregnancy (n5102) and the others with normal serum uric acid levels ( n5100). Results: The only consequence identified of the lone hyperuricemia was a lower birth weight of children born to mothers found to have lone hyperuricemia for more than 2 weeks ( P,0.05). Conclusions: Lone hyperuricemia is not a risk factor regarding the onset of preeclampsia. It is therefore unnecessary to measure serum uric acid level during a normal pregnancy.  1998 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. Keywords: Birth weight; Lone hyperuricemia; Preeclampsia; Uric acid 1. Introduction uric acid levels may begin to rise before the appearance of hypertension and proteinuria. However, patients studied Uric acid is the major end-product of purine metabo- included nulliparous and parous women, some of them lism. Although a small proportion of the uric acid pool with renal disease or treated chronic hypertension, and the may be derived from diet, the greatest amount results from presentation of the data does not allow the predictive value tissue breakdown. From the 16th to 36th week of gestation, of uric acid determination. Our study is a retrospective the serum uric acid concentration increases, whereas uric study comparing obstetrical prognostics between two acid excretion remains constant. Since uric acid is excreted groups of nulliparous women without medical past history, principally by the kidneys, it may be an indicator of one with lone hyperuricemia during pregnancy and the changes in renal function during pregnancy [1]. others with normal serum uric acid levels. Preeclampsia is a common disorder of pregnancy and a major cause of maternal, fetal and neonatal mortality and morbidity [2]. Thus its prevention would have a significant 2. Material and methods impact on maternal and perinatal outcome worldwide. While the measurement of serum uric acid level has been Between November 1992 and December 1996, we correlated with the clinical severity of preeclampsia and studied 102 pregnancies associated with lone hyper- the perinatal outcome [3,4], very few studies have reported uricemia (HU) and 100 control pregnancies (C). All the prognostic value of lone hyperuricemia during preg- women were French nulliparas, excluding DOM-TOM nancy. The results of many studies [5,6], but not of others countries. Lone hyperuricemia was defined by a serum uric [7], in normotensive pregnant women suggest that serum acid level of 350 ( mmol/l (58.3 mg/l) or more, without any other concomitant clinical, paraclinical or biological * Corresponding author. Tel.: 133 40 306849; fax: 133 40 306699. abnormality at the time of its discovery. Control pregnants 0301-2115 / 98 / $19.00  1998 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved. PII S0301-2115(97)00248-0