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Plasma dopamine beta-hydroxylase activity in psychotic and non-psychotic post-traumatic stress disorder. 1998

M B Hamner, and P B Gold
Mental Health Services (116), Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center, Charleston, SC 29401, USA. hamnermarkb@charlestonva.gov

Recognition and treatment of comorbid chronic psychotic symptoms in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has become of increasing clinical interest. Altered dopamine beta-hydroxylase (DBH) activity has been reported in mood disorders. Plasma DBH is reduced in major depression with psychosis and elevated in bipolar disorder with psychosis compared with their respective non-psychotic diagnostic groups. DBH is likely a trait marker with interindividual variations secondary to genetic polymorphism. We therefore evaluated DBH activity in PTSD patients with and without psychotic features and compared these groups with age- and gender-matched control subjects. Vietnam combat veterans with PTSD (n = 19) (including patients with and without psychotic features) and normal control subjects (n = 22) had plasma DBH enzyme activity assayed photometrically. DBH was significantly higher in patients with PTSD with psychotic features than in patients without psychotic features (80.6 +/- 13.4 vs. 42.1 +/- 7.3 mM/min, P < 0.01) and was also higher than normal control subjects (46.12 +/- 4.93, P < 0.01). Plasma DBH activity may differentiate psychotic and non-psychotic subtypes of PTSD. The observed changes are, interestingly, opposite to those seen in psychotic depression but comparable to psychotic bipolar disorder. Since DBH is a genetic marker, this may reflect individual vulnerabilities to develop psychosis in the context of trauma.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D008297 Male Males
D008875 Middle Aged An adult aged 45 - 64 years. Middle Age
D011618 Psychotic Disorders Disorders in which there is a loss of ego boundaries or a gross impairment in reality testing with delusions or prominent hallucinations. (From DSM-IV, 1994) Psychoses,Psychosis, Brief Reactive,Schizoaffective Disorder,Schizophreniform Disorders,Psychosis,Brief Reactive Psychoses,Brief Reactive Psychosis,Disorder, Psychotic,Disorder, Schizoaffective,Disorder, Schizophreniform,Disorders, Psychotic,Disorders, Schizoaffective,Disorders, Schizophreniform,Psychoses, Brief Reactive,Psychotic Disorder,Reactive Psychoses, Brief,Reactive Psychosis, Brief,Schizoaffective Disorders,Schizophreniform Disorder
D003130 Combat Disorders Neurotic reactions to unusual, severe, or overwhelming military stress. Neuroses, War,War Neuroses,Combat Neuroses,Combat Neurosis,Combat Stress Disorders,Shell Shock,War Neurosis,Combat Disorder,Combat Stress Disorder,Disorder, Combat,Disorder, Combat Stress,Disorders, Combat,Disorders, Combat Stress,Neuroses, Combat,Neurosis, Combat,Neurosis, War,Shell Shocks,Shock, Shell,Shocks, Shell,Stress Disorder, Combat,Stress Disorders, Combat
D003937 Diagnosis, Differential Determination of which one of two or more diseases or conditions a patient is suffering from by systematically comparing and contrasting results of diagnostic measures. Diagnoses, Differential,Differential Diagnoses,Differential Diagnosis
D004299 Dopamine beta-Hydroxylase Dopamine beta-Monooxygenase,Dopamine beta Hydroxylase,Dopamine beta Monooxygenase,beta-Hydroxylase, Dopamine,beta-Monooxygenase, Dopamine
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000328 Adult A person having attained full growth or maturity. Adults are of 19 through 44 years of age. For a person between 19 and 24 years of age, YOUNG ADULT is available. Adults
D012680 Sensitivity and Specificity Binary classification measures to assess test results. Sensitivity or recall rate is the proportion of true positives. Specificity is the probability of correctly determining the absence of a condition. (From Last, Dictionary of Epidemiology, 2d ed) Specificity,Sensitivity,Specificity and Sensitivity
D014728 Veterans Former members of the armed services. Veteran

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