[Dopamin-beta-hydroxylaseaktivität im Plasma von Dialysepatienten (author's transl)].

Plasma dopamin-b-hydroxylase (DBH) was studied in 70 healthy control persons and in 37 hemodialysed patients. Basal DBH in controls corresponded to 50.0 +/- 29.3 IU. There was was no significant difference between males (53.9 +/1 33.8 IU) and females (47.4 +/- 25 IU); no correlation could be found between age and plasma DBH. In hemodialysed patients basal DBH levels were significantly (p less than 0.01) decreased (32.5 %/- 17.6 IU), suggesting lowered sympathetic activity and/or abnormalities in release, distribution space, or metabolism of DBH. During hemodialysis plasma DBH activity rose during ultrafiltration. This finding indicates a directionally appropriate sympathetic reflex response to volume depletion in dialysed patients.