Plasma catecholamines in pulmonary tuberculosis.

Fifty pulmonary tuberculous patients (minimal; moderate and far-advanced), 18 TB-healed persons and 15 healthy control subjects were examined for plasma levels of adrenaline (AD), noradrenaline (NA), dopamine (DA), ACTH and cortisol. The estimated hormones were found to be increased significantly with the severity of the disease suggesting that the stress of infection plays a role in induction of enzymes responsible for catecholamines synthesis with subsequent stimulation of ACTH and cortisol secretion. Noradrenaline appeared the most effective in this respect.