[Catecholamine concentration in the blood and excretion in the urine in different forms of progressive muscular...

A combined study of the blood content of catecholamines (C) and of their urinary excretion in 42 patients with primary forms of myodystrophies and denervated amyotrophies allowed adequate identification of the features of the sympathoadrenal system functioning under conditions of the myodystrophic process. The study revealed changes in C levels. The primary forms of progressive muscular dystrophies (PMD) were associated with increased blood levels of adrenalin (A) while denervated amyotrophies were related to elevated concentrations of noradrenalin (NA). A statistically significant increase in A excretion with urine was found in Duchenne's PMD and in Kugelberg-Welander's spinal amyotrophy, i. e. the disorders with the most malignant course among all the groups studied. NA concentrations were lowered in all forms of PMD with the exception of Charcot-Marie's neural amyotrophy.