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Uric acid and allantoin levels in Down syndrome: antioxidant and oxidative stress mechanisms?
Zitnanová I, Zitnanová I, Korytár P, Aruoma OI, Sustrová M, Garaiová I, Muchová J, Kalnovicová T et al.. Clinica chimica acta; international journal of clinical chemistry, 2004-03-01
Topic: Brain proteins, microglia and lab models
Background Down syndrome (DS) is a chromosomal abnormality (trisomy 21) leading to mental retardation, to the characteristic change of individual's phenotype and to the pathological features of Alzheimer disease. Patients with DS have elevated ratio of superoxide dismutase to (catalase plus glutathione peroxidase) with respect to controls in all age categories suggesting that oxidative imbalance contributes to the clinical manifestation of accelerated aging. Results We report that persons with DS have elevated uric acid levels compared with controls, 348.56+/-22.78 versus 284.00+/-20.86 micromol/l (p=0.018). The levels of hypoxanthine and xanthine in DS children (6.35+/-0.31 and 1.02+/-0.23 micromol/l) were significantly lower than in controls (7.83+/-0.59 and 2.43+/-0.66 micromol/l). This result suggests increased conversion of hypoxanthine and xanthine to uric acid with subsequent free radical-dependent oxidation of uric acid to allantoin, mechanisms potentiated by the oxidative stress in DS. Allantoin is a nonenzymatic oxidative product of uric acid in human. In DS individuals, the levels of allantoin were significantly higher than those in healthy controls (18.58+/-2.27 and 14.07+/-1.07 micromol/l, respectively, p=0.03). Conclusions Our data supported the presumption of increased oxidative stress in DS.
Key findings
- Patients with DS have elevated ratio of superoxide dismutase to (catalase plus glutathione peroxidase) with respect to controls in all age categories suggesting that oxidative imbalance contributes to the clinical manifestation of accelerated aging.
- Results We report that persons with DS have elevated uric acid levels compared with controls, 348.56+/-22.78 versus 284.00+/-20.86 micromol/l (p=0.018).
- The levels of hypoxanthine and xanthine in DS children (6.35+/-0.31 and 1.02+/-0.23 micromol/l) were significantly lower than in controls (7.83+/-0.59 and 2.43+/-0.66 micromol/l).
- This result suggests increased conversion of hypoxanthine and xanthine to uric acid with subsequent free radical-dependent oxidation of uric acid to allantoin, mechanisms potentiated by the oxidative stress in DS.
- In DS individuals, the levels of allantoin were significantly higher than those in healthy controls (18.58+/-2.27 and 14.07+/-1.07 micromol/l, respectively, p=0.03).
Why it matters
People with Down syndrome had higher uric acid levels and higher allantoin levels than controls, and lower levels of hypoxanthine and xanthine, which the authors say supports increased oxidative stress in Down syndrome. This is a blood measurement study and does not test any treatment or prevention.
Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 41/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Clinica chimica acta; international journal of clinical chemistry) |
| Journal's citation record | 2 / 4 | Clinica Chimica Acta: journal h-index 241 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 1 / 5 | 2004 — older than 20 years, still counted |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 4 / 7 | Cited 95 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 2 / 5 | 4.0 citations a year over 24 year(s) since 2004 |
| Impact for its field and year | 3 / 6 | Cited 4.8× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 2 / 6 | Cited by 5 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 1 / 4 | Cited 4 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 2 / 4 | Last-listed author Zdeňka Ďuračková: h-index 34 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 2 / 3 | Imperial College London: institution h-index 1,744 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 2 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 5 institution(s) in 3 countries |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 14967170) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 41 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
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APA 7th
Zitnanová, I., Korytár, P., Aruoma, O. I., Sustrová, M., Garaiová, I., Muchová, J., et al. (2004). Uric acid and allantoin levels in Down syndrome: antioxidant and oxidative stress mechanisms? Clinica chimica acta; international journal of clinical chemistry. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cccn.2003.11.020
Vancouver
Zitnanová I, Korytár P, Aruoma OI, Sustrová M, Garaiová I, Muchová J, et al. Uric acid and allantoin levels in Down syndrome: antioxidant and oxidative stress mechanisms? Clinica chimica acta; international journal of clinical chemistry. 2004. doi:10.1016/j.cccn.2003.11.020. PMID: 14967170.
BibTeX
@article{zitnanova2004-14967170,
author = {Zitnanová, I. and Korytár, P. and Aruoma, O. I. and Sustrová, M. and Garaiová, I. and Muchová, J. and Kalnovicová, T. and others},
title = {{Uric acid and allantoin levels in Down syndrome: antioxidant and oxidative stress mechanisms?}},
journal = {Clinica chimica acta; international journal of clinical chemistry},
year = {2004},
doi = {10.1016/j.cccn.2003.11.020},
pmid = {14967170},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cccn.2003.11.020}
}
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