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Serum uric acid, creatinine, and the assessment of antioxidant capacity in critical illness

Ivo Giovannini*, Carlo Chiarla, Felice Giuliante, Federico Pallavicini, Maria Vellone, Francesco Ardito and Gennaro Nuzzo

Author Affiliations

Hepato-biliary Surgery Unit, Sub-intensive Care, and CNR-IASI Center for the Pathophysiology of Shock, Catholic University School of Medicine, Rome, Italy

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Critical Care 2006, 10:421 doi:10.1186/cc5008

Published: 4 September 2006

First paragraph (this article has no abstract)

In their nice study on serum total antioxidant capacity (TAC) in sepsis [1] Chuang and coworkers have demonstrated an increase in TAC that was directly correlated to severity of illness and poor outcome, and to increasing levels of serum uric acid (UA). Although the increase in TAC might be interpreted as an extreme protective attempt against overwhelming inflammation, this must still be proved, as correctly commented on by the authors.