This characteristic can be attributed to the followingfactors: (1) obese individuals have reduced renal clearance of uric acid, which canresult in higher serum levels23; (2) adiposetissue, similar to the liver and intestine, has abundant activity of xanthine oxidase(enzyme responsible for catalyzing purines and uric acid); and (3) obesity is associatedwith elevated activity of xanthine oxidase and increased production of uric acid byadipose tissue.8 This evidence concerns the gene XDH and obesity due to melanocortin 4 receptor deficiency.