Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to M Zaluska.
On the basis of studies carried out in a group of 44 patients with endogenous depressive illness, the authors conclude that MHPG in urine is not a good predictor of response to amitriptyline treatment. There are no correlations between MHPG level and clinical improvement after 2 weeks' treatment and with final results of the therapy.
On the basis of studies carried out with a group of 47 patients with endogenous depressive illness, lower plasma activity of dopamine-beta-hydroxylase (DBH) was found as compared with a control group (31 healthy persons). Lower DBH activity particularly characterized bipolar patients. Lowest DBH activity was found in patients with a family history of psychiatric disorders, in particular, affective illness (in comparison with the control group the difference was statistically significant, P less than 0.05). It was noticed, that in a period of remission or significant improvement the enzymatic activity increases, although in some cases the level of activity is still lower than in the control group. There was a correlation between activity of the enzyme and clinical course of the illness and susceptibility to antidepressive drugs. Most of the observed phenomena are related to male patients. On the basis of these studies and data supplied by corresponding literature, concerning in particular the effects of DBH inhibitors (fusaric acid, disulfiram), the authors consider that changes in DBH activity may play a role in the pathogenesis of depression and that DBH deserves further studies, also of genetic nature.
Erythrocyte COMT activity was determined in 31 healthy persons (16 men, 15 women) and in 34 persons with endogenous depressive syndrome (12 men, 22 women). It was found that enzyme activity is significantly higher in healthy men than in healthy women. In the group of women with endogenous depressive syndrome COMT activity is elevated as compared with the group of healthy women (P less than 0.05). This is true of all forms of affective disease: bipolar, unipolar, and undifferentiated. High COMT activity in women with depression is apparent mainly in patients whose first and second degree relatives revealed psychiatric disturbances, particularly affective disorders. This supports the significance of the sex factor in the genetic transmission of affective disorders, and a possible involvement of COMT activity changes in the pathogenesis of such disorders in women. No correlation was found between the changes in COMT activity and the psychopathological picture of depression or the severity of endogenous depressive syndrome.
Platelet MAO activity was determined in blood from 31 healthy persons and 43 persons with endogenous depressive syndrome. It was found that the enzyme activity is significantly higher in women than in men, both in healthy controls and in affective illness groups. Statistically significant lowering of the enzyme activity was found in the group of women with affective illness as compared with healthy women controls (P less than 0.05). Although the latter phenomenon is true of all three diagnostic subgroups of affective disorder (bipolar, unipolar, undifferentiated), it is most pronounced, and statistically significant only in the group of women with an undifferentiated course of disease. A small rise in the enzyme activity was noticed in some patients during remission, as compared with a period of depression, but this was not statistically significant. Analysis of the possible links between MAO activity and the clinical picture, or the severity of depression, revealed no significant correlations. No correlation was found between the level of MAO activity and a family history of psychiatric disturbances in general, and affective disorders in particular--in either women or in men.
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