Association between serum uric acid level and multiple system atrophy: A meta-analysis.

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Biochemistry
• Clinical Neurology

Background:

• Lower serum uric acid (UA) levels are implicated in neurodegenerative disorder risk.
• The specific association between serum UA and multiple system atrophy (MSA) remains debated.
• Understanding this relationship is crucial for potential diagnostic or prognostic markers.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct a meta-analysis evaluating the relationship between serum UA levels and MSA.
• To determine if serum UA levels differ significantly between MSA patients and healthy controls.
• To explore potential sex-based differences in the UA-MSA association.

Main Methods:

• A systematic literature search was performed across major databases (PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, Cochrane Library, CNKI).
• Eligible studies involving MSA patients and healthy individuals were included.
• Standardized mean differences (SMD) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated using fixed or random-effects models, with subgroup analyses by gender.

Main Results:

• The meta-analysis of 6 studies (547 MSA patients, 637 controls) found significantly lower serum UA levels in MSA patients (SMD = -0.51, 95% CI: -0.88 to -0.14, p=0.006).
• Subgroup analysis revealed a significant association in males (SMD = -0.61, 95% CI: -0.82 to -0.40, p<0.0001).
• No significant association was found in females (SMD = -0.22, 95% CI: -0.55 to 0.10, p=0.18).

Conclusions:

• Lower serum UA levels are associated with an increased risk of developing MSA.
• The observed association between lower serum UA and MSA is statistically significant in men.
• The relationship between serum UA levels and MSA risk was not significant in women in this meta-analysis.