[Acid uric : key player in a recently recognized devastating nephropathy and in the development of chronic kidney disease.].

Uric acid has been known since long ago for its implication in gout and in certain kinds of nephrolithiasis. However, its role in models of acute and chronic nephropathies has been the focus of many new developments. The so called Mesoamerican nephropathy is a devastating disease that has caused more than 20'000 deaths in central America these last few years among sugarcane workers. Acid uric could play a key role in its physiopathology. Moreover, acid uric tends to be recognized as an independent factor of development and progression in chronic kidney disease, opening a way for new therapeutic targets.