A study of the possible relationship of serum dopamine-beta-hydroxylase activity with diabetic neuropathy.

Serum DBH activity in a normal population of 58 individuais shows a gaussian distribution, on the opposite to what happens in a popuiation of 100 diabetics. These two populations also differ statistically by the analysis of variance. However it was round that it is not possible to correiate ...rum DBH neither with insulin admi nistration, type of diabetes, duration of disease, nor with the severity of the invol vement of the peripheral nerves. It is hypothesized that the variation of DBH in dia betics may have a multifactorial cause, resulting from several metaboiic and circula. tory alterations that accompany the disease.