Serum dopamine-beta-hydroxylase activity and lateral ventricular size in affective disorders and schizophrenia.

Previous studies have reported a significant negative correlation between cerebrospinal fluid DBH activity and ventricular brain ratio (VBR) in schizophrenic patients. We now report a significant negative correlation between log serum DBH activity and VBR in 28 patients with major depression (r = -0.41, p = 0.04); this correlation was also negative (r = -0.15), but not significant, in 46 schizophrenics. Eight patients (five schizophrenic, three affective disorder) with increased VBR had significantly lower serum DBH activity than the patients with normal VBR. The relationship between low CSF or serum DBH activity and increased VBR may be manifestations of the polygenetic vulnerability common to the major psychoses.