1131 abnormal catecholamine excretion in patients with sydenham's chorea


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ABSTRACT The pathogenesis of Sydenham's (rheumatic) chorea is not well understood. Laboratory tests are not helpful in establishing the diagnosis. The chorea can be successfully treated


with haloperidol, an agent known to interfere with the binding of dopamine to its receptors. This suggests that dopamine, and its urine catabolite homovanylic acid (HVA), might be increased


in Sydenham's chorea. To test this hypothesis the urines of three patients with the clinical diagnosis of Sydenham's chorea were analyzed for HVA and Vanyllylmandel acid (VMA)


during the acute phase of the disease. Urine HVA was 28.07 ± 6.1 mcg per mg. creatinine (m ± SEM). Seven age matched control children had urine HVA levels of 8.8 ± 0.7 mcg per mg creatinine


(m ± SEM) (p< 0.01). Urinary VMA was 8.7 ± 3.2 mcg per mg creatinine in the patients with chorea, and 6.4 ± 0.6 in the control group (p> 0.1). The ratio HVA:VMA was 3.7 ± 0.7 (m ± SEM)


in the 3 patients, with chorea and 1.4 ± 0.2 in the control group (p< 0.005). In conclusion, urine HVA is increased in patients with Sydenham's chorea, suggesting increased


dopamine, the metabolic precursor of HVA, in the disease. The determination of HVA and HVA:VMA ratio may be helpful in establishing this diagnosis. ARTICLE PDF AUTHOR INFORMATION AUTHORS AND


AFFILIATIONS * (Spon Frank A. Oski) Dept. of Peds, Rothschild University Hospital, Haifa, Israel Zeev Hochberg & Simon T Winter Authors * Zeev Hochberg View author publications You can


also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar * Simon T Winter View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar RIGHTS AND PERMISSIONS Reprints and


permissions ABOUT THIS ARTICLE CITE THIS ARTICLE Hochberg, Z., Winter, S. 1131 ABNORMAL CATECHOLAMINE EXCRETION IN PATIENTS WITH SYDENHAM'S CHOREA. _Pediatr Res_ 12 (Suppl 4), 552


(1978). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-197804001-01137 Download citation * Issue Date: 01 April 1978 * DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-197804001-01137 SHARE THIS ARTICLE Anyone you


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