The urinary MHPG/creatinine ratio and its relationship to platelet monoamine oxidase activity in abstinent alcoholics

This study was designed to assess the baseline noradrenergic turnover of su bgroups of postwithdrawal abstinent alcoholics and healthy controls. The me thod chosen was an overnight fasting urine sample of the breakdown product of norepinephrine, MHPG, related to urinary creatinine. A comparison was ma de with platelet monoamine oxidase activity and also within subgroups of th e study population. This study found no difference between alcoholics and c ontrols, nor between subgroups of postwithdrawal alcoholics in their level of urinary MHPG corrected for creatinine, and no significant correlation wi th major subject characteristics or with platelet monoamine oxidase. There was a trend, however, towards a significant correlation with duration of ab stinence from alcohol, and there was a correlation with a history of fighti ng when drinking alcohol, but not with sociopathic traits overall. Within t he type 2 alcoholics there was a significant correlation with a history of fighting when drinking and a negative correlation with behavioral tolerance to alcohol. It is possible that only the subset of type 2 alcoholics with certain antisocial characteristics have noradrenergic abnormalities. Althou gh no statistical difference was found between the different groups under s tudy, the information is helpful in increasing understanding of the noradre nergic system in abstinent alcoholics.