Decreased oxidative deamination of catecholamines associated with clinical scleroderma

Abstract

Abstract Urinary catecholamines and their metabolites were determined in fourteen scleroderma patients and in twenty normals. Scleroderma patients showed significantly decreased output of free epinephrine, total norepinephrine, and vanillylmandelic acid (VMA). There was significant elevation of total normetanephrine (NM), total metanephrine (M) plus total NM, and of the ratio M + NM/VMA. Total was essentially unchanged. This suggested decreased oxidative deamination of both NM and M to form VMA, possibly reflecting inhibition of monoamine oxidase.