Cause of persistent hypouricemia in outpatients

We measured serum urate in 3,258 Japanese outpatients. Five of them had persistent hypouricemia. Three also had microhematuria. Four of the five patients were proven to have renal uricosuria with hypouricemia, but otherwise normal tubular function. When tested with both pyrazinamide and benzbromarone, 1 patient had a presecretory reabsorption defect, 2 had postabsorption defects, and 1 an enhanced renal tubular secretion of urate. These results suggest that persistent hypouricemia in outpatients is of very low incidence, is usually caused by an isolated metabolic error of urate transport, and is not related to drug ingestion or systemic disease.