[Characteristics of tyrosine balance and oxidation in oligophrenia of different origin].

The author conducted a study of the tyrosine balance and the urine excretion of its metabolites: paraoxyphenylpyruvic and homogentistic acid in 39 oligophrenic patients of a nontypical and of 90 with an exogenous genesis. In exogenic forms of oligophrenia the oxidation of tyrosine was characterized by hypertyrosinemia, hypertyrosinuria, a drop of paraoxyphenylpyruvic acid excretion. In genotypical oligophrenia the most typical were high indices of tyrosinemia, tyrosinuria, excretion of paraphenylpyruvic acid and homogentistic acid.