Summary
Plasma and urine uric acid levels were measured in 37 pairs of twins aged 11 or 12 years and their parents. Effect of age differed between sexes and between plasma and urine. Assuming linear regression on age, the uric acid levels were adjusted for a fixed age, then standardized with mean 0 and standard deviation 1. The standardized values for plasma yielded a high MZ twin correlation (0.8429) a high mid-parent-offspring regression (0.7516) and a high parent-offspring regression (0.5100). Because of a high husband-wife correlation (0.3771) a model was used for estimating parameters, where effects of assortative mating and/or common within-family environment were incorporated. In plasma two sets of estimates were obtained: VA/VP=0.7064, 0.3251; VD/VP=0.1010, 0.1769; and VEC (variance due to common within-family environment)/VP=0.0362, 0.3416. In urine VA/VP=0.4125, VD/VP=0.3556 and VEC/VP=−0.1106. It was concluded that heritability of uric acid level was not less than 0.3 in plasma and not less than 0.4 in urine. The plasma uric acid level and IQ was positively correlated (between 0.17 and 0.34), but not significant.
Similar content being viewed by others
Article PDF
References
Boyle, J.A., Greig, W.R., Jasani, M.K., Duncan, A., Diver, M., and Buchanan, W.W. 1967. Relative roles of genetic and environmental factors in the control of serum uric acid levels in normouricaemic subjects.Ann. Rheum. Dis. 26:234–238
Brooks, G.W., and Mueller, E. 1966. Serum urate concentrations among university professors: Relation to drive, achievement, and leadership.JAMA 195:415–418.
Clifford, A.J., Riumallo, J.A., Young, V.R., and Scrimshaw, A.S. 1976. Effect of oral purines on serum and urinary uric acid of normal, hyperuricemic and gouty humans.J. Nutr. 106:428–450.
Crow, J.F., and Felsenstein, J. 1968. The effect of assortative mating on the genetic composition of a population.Engen. Quart. 15:85–97.
Dunn, J.P., Brooks, G.W., Mausner, J., and Rodnan, G.P., and Cobb, S. 1963. Social class gradient of serum uric acid levels in males.JAMA 185:431–436.
Erlenmeyer-Kimling, L., and Jarvik, L.F. 1963. Genetics and intelligence: A review.Science 142: 1477–1479.
Gulbrandsen, C.L., Morton, N.E., Rao, C.C., Rhoads, G.G., and Kagan, A. 1979. Determinants of plasma uric acid.Hum. Genet. 50:307–312.
Inouye, E. 1953. Eine Charakterstudie mittels der Zwillings-methode.Psychiat., Neurol. Jap. (in Japanese)55:603–638.
Inouye, E. 1956. Zygosity diagnosis.Jpn. J. Human Genet.. (in Japanese w, English summary)1:24–31.
Inouye, E. 1962. Zygosity diagnosis of Japanese twins by essen-möller's formulas. Studies on Twins Vol. III, Fujita, K. ed., Nihon-Gakujutsu-Shinkikai, Tokyo: 1–13. (in Japanese).
Inouye, E. 1979. Analysis method. In Quantitative genetic studies of normal development and normal traits using half-sib analysis method. Reports of Researches Granted by the Ministry of Education (No. 237054): 7–13 (in Japanese).
Inouye, E., Asaka, A., and Park, K.S. 1979. Genetic variation of enzyme activity. In Quantitative genetic studies of normal development and normal traits using half-sib analysis method. Reports of Researches Granted by the Ministry of Education (No. 237054): 16–21. (in Japanese).
Jensen, J., Blankenhorn, D.H., Chin, H.P., Sturgeon, P., and Ware, A.G. 1965. Serum lipids and serum uric acid in human twins.J. Lipid Res. 6:193–205.
Lieber, C.A., Jones, D.P., Losowsky, A.S., and Davidson, C.S. 1962. Interrelation of uric acid and ethanol metabolism in man.J. Clin. Invest. 41:1863–1870.
Mikkelsen, W.M., Dodge, H.J., and Valkenburg, H. 1965. The distribution of serum uric acid values in a population unselected as to gout or hyperuricemia: Tecumseh, Michigan 1959–1960.Am. J. Med. 39:242–251.
Montoye, H.J., Faulkner, J.A., Dodge, H.J., Mikkelsen, W.M., Willis, P.W., and Block, W.D. 1967. Serum uric acid concentration among business executives with observations on other coronary heart disease risk factors.Ann. Int. Med. 66:838–850.
Noppa, H., Bengtsson, C., Björntorp, P., Smith, U., and Tibblin, E. 1978. Overweight in women-metabolic aspects.Acta Med. Scand. 203:135–141.
O'Brien, W.M., Burch, T.A., and Bunim, J.J. 1966. Genetics of hyperuricaemia in blackfeet and pima indians.Ann. Rheum. Dis. 25:117–119.
Rauch-Janssen, A., Gröbner, W., and Zöllner N. 1977. Comparison of serum uric acid and urinary uric acid excretion under a soy protein diet low in purines and under a formula diet virtually free of purines.Nutr. Metab. 21 (Suppl. 1):94–97.
Reeve, E.C.R. 1956. Discussion. Cold Spring Harber Symposia on Quantitative Biology.20:76–78.
Rich, R.L., Nance, W.E., Corey, L.A., and Boughman, J.A. 1978. Evidence for genetic factors influencing serum uric acid levels in man. Progress in clinical and biological research, Nance, W.E. ed., Alan R. Liss, Inc., New York, 24/C:187–192.
Saker, B.M., Tofler, O.B., Burvill, M.J., and Reilly, K.A. 1967. Alcohol consumption and gout.Med. J. Aus. 1:1213–1216.
Seegmiller, J.E., Laster, L., and Howell, R.R. 1963. Biochemistry of uric acid and its relation to gout.N. Engl. J. Med. 268:712–716.
Stetten, D., Jr., and Hearon, J.E. 1959. Intellectual level measured by army classification battery and serum uric and concentration.Science 129:1737.
Sturge, R.A., Scott, J.T., Kennedy, A.C., Hart, D.P., and Bunchanan, W.W. 1977. Serum uric acid in England and Scotland.Ann. Rheum. Dis. 36:420–427.
Waslien, C.I., Calloway, D.H., and Margen, S. 1968. Uric acid production of men fed graded amounts of egg protein and yeast nucleic acid.Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 21:892–897.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Park, KS., Inouye, E. & Asaka, A. Plasma and urine uric acid levels: Heritability estimates and correlation with IQ. Jap J Human Genet 25, 193–202 (1980). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01997695
Received:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01997695