The purine metabolism of four cases with marked hypouricemia (serum uric acid concentration of less than 0.018 mmol/l) from three Japanese families was investigated. Erythrocyte adenosine deaminase (EC 3.5.4.4) and purine-nucleoside phosphorylase (EC 2.4.2.1) activities of the patients were within the normal ranges. Urinary hypoxanthine and xanthine concentrations were 0.096-0.397 mmol/l and 0.743-1.717 mmol/l, respectively. Xanthine oxidase (EC 1.2.3.2) activities in the jejunal mucosa of the two normal controls were 0.257 and 0.283 units/g protein, while those of three of the patients were extremely low and could not be determined. The findings of these biochemical features may indicate that the four patients have hereditary xanthinuria. In order to study the purine metabolism in the hypouricemic condition of this disorder, a single oral dose of allopurinol (4-hydroxypyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidine) was administered in one case. The excretion pattern of allopurinol and oxypurinol (4,6-dihydroxypyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidine) in the urine of the patient was similar to that of a normal control male. These data suggest that some residual enzyme activity may be functioning in vivo, although the presence of xanthine oxidase could not be detected.