Investigation of a correlation between monoamine oxidase B and catechol-O-methyltransferase activity in human blood cells

Monoamine oxidase B (MAO-B) and catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) are piv otal enzymes in the catabolism of several neurotransmitters. MAO-B and COMT activity can be reliably measured in human platelets and erythrocytes, res pectively. This study investigated whether a correlation exists between the activity of the two enzymes in a panel of 47 elderly subjects (age range 5 5-80 years). No correlation was apparent between the two activities (r(2) < 0.01), which suggests that, genetically, they are determined independently . COMT activity in a panel of 163 subjects showed a bimodal distribution wi th a nadir at approximately 38 pmol/h/mg Hb. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science BN. All rights reserved.