WHOLE-BLOOD MONOAMINE-OXIDASE ACTIVITY IN PARKINSONS-DISEASE AND MULTIPLE SYSTEM ATROPHY PATIENTS

Monoamine oxidase type B (MAO-B), which catalyses the breakdown of dop amine (DA) in human brain, is said to be involved in the pathophysiolo gy of Parkinson's disease (PD). Activity of MAO-B in PD has been measu red in platelets isolated from blood samples in different studies, wit h contradictory results, possibly due to the differences in substrate used or to differences in platelet isolation. Therefore we measured MA O activity in whole blood, which is almost identical to MAO-B activity in platelets, in 25 drug-naive PD patients, 25 treated PD patients, 9 multiple system atrophy (MSA) patients and 20 controls, using a spect rofluorimetric method with kynuramin as a substrate. No statistically significant differences between groups were found, nor any correlation with the severity or duration of the disease.