A simplified alkaline phosphotungstate assay for uric acid in serum.

An alkaline phosphotungstate procedure was developed in which the phosphotungstic acid reagent is used both as protein-precipitating and oxidizing reagent. The procedure requires only a 0.2-mi sample and fewer reagents and manipulations than similar procedures, but yields results equivalent to those obtained by Henry’s alkaline phosphotungstate procedure. Recovery, precision, and linearity were good over a wide range of uric acid concentrations. Standardization was easy with use of aqueous albumin standards or of commercial calibration reference sera.