Assessment of the Effect of Once Daily Nitisinone Therapy on 24-h Urinary Metadrenalines and 5-Hydroxyindole Acetic Acid Excretion in Patients with Alkaptonuria After 4 Weeks of Treatment.

BACKGROUND

One of the major metabolic consequences of using nitisinone to treat patients with alkaptonuria is that circulating tyrosine concentrations increase. As tyrosine is required for the biosynthesis of catecholamine neurotransmitters, it is possible that their metabolism is altered as a consequence. Herein we report the 24-h urinary excretion of normetadrenaline (NMA), metadrenaline (MA), 3-methoxytyramine (3-MT) (catecholamine metabolites) and 5-hydroxyindole acetic acid (5-HIAA, metabolite of serotonin) in a cohort of AKU patients before and after a 4-week treatment trial with nitisinone.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

24 h urinary excretions of NMA, MA, 3-MT and 5-HIAA were determined by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. Interassay coefficient of variation was <10% for all analytes measured, at all concentrations tested.

RESULTS

Urine samples were assayed at baseline (pre-nitisinone, n = 36) and 4 weeks later; 7 received no nitisinone (4 male, mean age (±SD) 46.3 (16.4) years), and 29 received a daily dose of nitisinone [1 mg (n = 7, 6 male, mean age 45.9 (10.9) years), 2 mg (n = 8, 5 male, mean age 43.9 (13.7) years), 4 mg (n = 8, 5 male, mean age 47.3 (10.7) years) and 8 mg (n = 6, 4 male, mean age 53.8 (8.3) years)]. 3-MT concentrations increase significantly (p < 0.01, at all doses) following nitisinone therapy but not in a dose-dependent manner. NMA concentrations decreased (p < 0.05, at all doses) following nitisinone therapy at all doses. 5-HIAA concentrations decreased following nitisinone therapy and were significantly lower at a daily dose of 8 mg only (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

This study shows that catecholamine and serotonin metabolism is altered by treatment with nitisinone.