Urate oxidase catalyzes the enzymatic oxidation（degrades) of uric acid into allantoin， an inactive and soluble metabolite， which is 5 to 10 fold more soluble than uric acid . Urate oxidase is an enzyme of the purine breakdown pathway that catalyses the oxidation of uric acid to allantoin. Uricase is present in numerous diverse organisms， but not in higher primates including human. Hyperuricaemia is most commonly associated with gout and also occurs in mammalians with malignancy， especially those with lymphoid malignancies due to rapid cell turnover and an increased rate of purine metabolism. Uricase is effective in the prevention and treatment of hyperuricaemia in mammalians with malignancy and in those who have undergone transplantation. It appears to act rapidly， safely and induces a more dramatic decrease in plasma levels of uric acid.
