EVALUATION OF CATECHOL AMINE LEVELS IN RENAL INSUFFICIENCY

Abstract

A comparison of the ethylenediamine (EDA) condensation and the trihydroxyindole (THI) fluorometric methods for determining plasma catechol amine levels revealed that many phenol compounds which might occur in the blood can interfere with the EDA method but not the THI method. High levels of plasma catechol amines as determined by the EDA method in patients with renal insufficiency were found to be normal when determined by the THI method. The high levels of catechol amines determined by the EDA method in patients with renal insufficiency are thought to be due to interfering substances which occur in the blood of these patients.