Sunagawa S, et al. - In patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and metabolic syndrome (MetS), the researchers examined the clinical implication of plasma xanthine oxidase (XO) activity. Participants in the study were 60 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and MetS. According to the 2005 International Diabetes Federation guidelines, MetS was defined. In Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and MetS, plasma XO activity associated with indices of insulin resistance and liver dysfunction. Patients showing normal levels of serum uric acid with higher activity of XO can be screened through assessing the plasma XO activity. Thereby, possibly providing a clue to uncovering metabolic risks in type 2 diabetes mellitus and MetS patients.