engleski

Genotype analysis of plasma dopamine ß-hydroxylase in post-traumatic stress disorder

Dopamine-beta-hydroxylase (DBH) catalyzes the conversion of dopamine to norepinephrine. Altered DBH activity has been reported in mood disorders. DBH activity can be detected in human plasma, where it exhibits genetically determined inter individual variability that is stabile within individuals over time. A recent study demonstrated a strong association between variance in plasma DBH (pDBH) activity and a novel polymorphism (DBH-1021C T) at the structural locus (DBH) encoding DBH protein. A polymorphism accounts for 35% to 52% of the variation in the plasma DBH activity in European, African Americans and Japanese. The aim of the present study was to investigate the activity of plasma DBH and allelic variation at DBH (DBH-1021C T polymorphism) in war veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Study included 41 male war veterans with PTSD and 40 male healthy controls. All subjects were drug free. The activity of plasma DBH was significantly (t=266 ; df=65 ; p<0.01) lower in war veterans with PTSD (365 ± ; 225 nmol/ml/h plasma) as compared to enzyme activity in healthy controls (528 ± ; 258 nmol/ml/h plasma). The T allele of the DBH-1021C T polymorphism was significantly associated with lower DBH activity. Allelic frequencies in both groups did not deviate significantly from the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (p>0, 90 in all cases). Conclusions: We have found significantly decreased DBH activity in war veterans with PTSD when compared to healthy men. Also there is a significant correlation between T allele of the DBH-1021C T polymorphism. This initial study suggests altered pDBH activity in PTSD patients. Since DBH is a genetic marker, this may reflect individual vulnerabilities to develop PTSD in the context of trauma.

genotype analysis; plasma dopamine ß-hydroxylase; post-traumatic stress disorder

nije evidentirano