The tubular transport of
urate was studied in 40 hypertensive patients and in 20 normal subjects by means of
pyrazinamide and
benzbromarone tests. There was a marked decrease in
urate excretion per nephron in hyperuricemic patients with
essential hypertension. Serum
uric acid correlated inversely with fractional excretion of
urate (r = -0.7450, p less than 0.001). Presecretory and postsecretory reabsorption of
urate did not significantly differ between hypertensive patients with high
uric acid levels and control subjects.
Urate secretion was significantly reduced in hypertensive patients and in those with
hyperuricemia showed a twofold decrease. Serum
uric acid correlated inversely with tubular secretion of
urate (r = -0.7091, p less than 0.001) in hypertensive patients. These findings indicate that impaired tubular secretion of
urate is a potential mechanism of
hyperuricemia in
essential hypertension.