U-shaped association between abnormal serum uric acid levels and COVID-19 severity: reports from the Japan COVID-19 Task Force

• Published in: International journal of infectious diseases 2022-09, Vol.122, p.747-754
• Main Authors: Fukushima, Takahiro, Chubachi, Shotaro, Namkoong, Ho, Otake, Shiro, Nakagawara, Kensuke, Tanaka, Hiromu, Lee, Ho, Morita, Atsuho, Watase, Mayuko, Kusumoto, Tatsuya, Masaki, Katsunori, Kamata, Hirofumi, Ishii, Makoto, Hasegawa, Naoki, Harada, Norihiro, Ueda, Tetsuya, Ueda, Soichiro, Ishiguro, Takashi, Arimura, Ken, Saito, Fukuki, Yoshiyama, Takashi, Nakano, Yasushi, Mutoh, Yoshikazu, Suzuki, Yusuke, Murakami, Koji, Okada, Yukinori, Koike, Ryuji, Kitagawa, Yuko, Kimura, Akinori, Imoto, Seiya, Miyano, Satoru, Ogawa, Seishi, Kanai, Takanori, Fukunaga, Koichi
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Cohort Studies; COVID-19; High serum uric acid; Humans; Hyperuricemia; Hyperuricemia - complications; Hyperuricemia - epidemiology; Hypouricemia; Japan - epidemiology; Low serum uric acid; Medicin och hälsovetenskap; Respiratory care; Risk Factors; Severity; Uric Acid
• ISSN: 1201-9712; 1878-3511; 1878-3511
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ijid.2022.07.014

•We analyzed the serum uric acid levels and hyperuricemia in patients with COVID-19.•High serum uric acid levels were associated with the requirement of invasive mechanical ventilation.•Low serum uric acid levels were also associated with the requirement of invasive mechanical ventilation. This study aimed to identify the relationship between abnormal serum uric acid levels or a history of hyperuricemia and COVID-19 severity in the Japanese population. We included 1523 patients enrolled in the Japan COVID-19 Task Force cohort between February 2020 and May 2021. We compared the clinical characteristics, including co-morbidities, laboratory findings, and outcomes, particularly invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV), among patients with and without abnormal uric acid levels or a history of hyperuricemia. Patients with high serum uric acid levels were older and had higher body weight and body mass index than those without. In addition, the multiple logistic regression analysis revealed a significant association between high serum uric acid levels or a history of hyperuricemia and an increased risk of IMV (odds ratio [OR] = 1.77; P = 0.03/OR = 1.56; P = 0.04). Moreover, patients with low uric acid levels on admission were also associated significantly with the requirement of IMV (OR = 5.09; P