title: Plasma homovanillic acid in adolescents with bulimia nervosa.
abstract: Dopaminergic abnormalities in bulimia nervosa have been reported in some studies, but results are not consistent across studies. In the present study, clinical characteristics, plasma level of homovanillic acid (pHVA) and two scales - the Eating Attitudes Test (EAT) and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) - were assessed in 36 adolescent bulimia nervosa patients (mean age16.3 years, S.D. 1.1) who were consecutively seen on an Eating Disorder Unit. Levels of pHVA were also measured in 16 healthy control adolescents from the general population. Patients had significantly higher mean pHVA than controls. Eighteen patients (50%) had a pHVA level equal to or higher than the mean of control subjects plus one standard deviation, and this group of patients had significantly higher mean BDI scores and non-significantly higher mean EAT scores, although they did not differ from the other patients in age, time elapsed since the onset of disorder, body mass index and number of binges or vomits. Moreover, in logistic regression analysis the BDI score proved to be an independent predictor of high pHVA. The level of pHVA is increased in bulimia nervosa patients with high scores on measures of depressive and eating symptomatology.
authors.affiliation: Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychology, Hospital Clínic Universitari, Biomedical Research Center in Mental Health Network, CIBERSAM Barcelona, Spain. jcastro@clinic.ub.es
authors.forename: Josefina
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Castro-Fornieles
authors.forename: Ramón
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Deulofeu
authors.forename: Esteve
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Martínez-Mallen
authors.forename: Immaculada
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Baeza
authors.forename: Lorena
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Fernández
authors.forename: Luisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lázaro
authors.forename: Josep
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Toro
authors.forename: Montserrat
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vila
authors.forename: Miquel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bernardo
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D015992:Body Mass Index; D052018:Bulimia Nervosa / Q000097:blood*; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid / Q000379:methods; D003863:Depression / Q000097:blood; D004563:Electrochemistry; D005260:Female; D006719:Homovanillic Acid / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D010555:Personality Inventory; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D006719:Homovanillic Acid