Plasma MHPG in rapid cyclers and healthy twins.
We measured plasma 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylglycol (MHPG) in 13 pairs of healthy drug-free monozygotic twins. High concordance for both free and conjugated MHPG suggests that plasma levels of the metabolite may reflect a heritable biological trait. In two drug-free rapidly cycling patients studied longitudinally, plasma MHPG levels reflected alterations in psychiatric state; they were significantly higher during mania than during depression. Although largely reflecting peripheral sources, plasma MHPG level as a global index of noradrenergic function may complement urinary MHPG excretion as a probe for diagnostic subgroups or pharmacologic responsiveness in psychiatric research.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006018:Glycols / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008734:Methoxyhydroxyphenylglycol / Q000097:blood*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011247:Pregnancy; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000097:blood; D014427:Twins; D014430:Twins, Monozygotic
D006018:Glycols; D008734:Methoxyhydroxyphenylglycol