A review of the evidence for a protective role of uric acid in Parkinson's disease.

The relationship between the circulating antioxidant uric acid (UA) and Parkinson's disease (PD) has attracted much interest. This review of the evidence indicating whether UA may have a protective role in the development and/or progression of PD draws on the findings of reduced serum UA in PD, critically assesses the more equivocal genetic results, and discusses experimental observations that UA may provide protection against the pathogenic mechanisms of PD.