SERUM URIC ACID LEVELS OF HEALTHY CAUCASIAN, CHINESE AND HAIDA INDIAN MALES IN BRITISH COLUMBIA.

Because previous studies have shown that serum uric acid levels are higher in members of the Filipino and Maori races than in Caucasians, and because gout seemed unexpectedly common in the Chinese population of Vancouver, a study of serum uric acid levels in Caucasian, Chinese and Haida Indian males was undertaken. The serum uric acid levels of 200 Caucasian, 100 Chinese and 237 Haida Indian males were determined by the ultraviolet spectrophotometric method of Dubbs, which gives a result 0.5 mg. % below that of the more commonly employed method of Grayzel. The mean level of the Caucasians was 4.55 mg. % and that of the Haida Indians 4.41 mg. %; in contrast, the Chinese mean was 5.44 mg. %, a significantly higher figure than the means of the other two groups. No explanation for this finding can be given at present.