Dopamine β-hydroxylase (DBH).

Dopamine β-hydroxylase also known as Dopamine beta-monooxygenase, is an enzyme that in humans is encoded by the DBH gene. This enzyme belongs to the family of oxidoreductases, specifically those acting on paired donors, with O2 as oxidant and incorporation or reduction of oxygen. The oxygen incorporated need not be derived from O2 with reduced ascorbate as one donor, and incorporation of one atom of oxygen into the other donor. This enzyme participates in tyrosine metabolism.

It is the only enzyme involved in the synthesis of small-molecule neurotransmitters that is membrane-bound, making norepinephrine the only transmitter synthesized inside vesicles. It is expressed in noradrenergic nerve terminals of the central and peripheral nervous systems, as well as in chromaffin cells of the adrenal medulla.

Abnormal values of DBH

A short-term and slight decrease of DBH value is typical for a tired person (e.g. due to insufficient sleeping, long air trip, previous hard physical activity, etc.) and for patients, who took alcohol or drugs recently (if so, the hepatic parameters will confirm this assumption, too). Long-term and/or sharp decrease of DBH value characterises chronic depressive conditions and prolonged exposure to stress, permanent physical overload and insufficient recovery period, the regular taking of alcohol or drugs (alcoholism, drug addiction), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), schizophrenia, and Alzheimer's disease.

An increased DBH value is typical for people suffering from maniac states (hyper excited states).

In any way, suspicious of above-mentioned disorders and pathologies is to be confirmed by related parameters from the report, appropriate symptoms and signs.

References:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dopamine_beta-monooxygenase

Mutschler J, Abbruzzese E, Witt SH, Dirican G, Nieratschker V, Frank J, Grosshans M, Rietschel M, Kiefer F (August 2012). "Functional polymorphism of the dopamine β-hydroxylase gene is associated with increased risk of disulfiram-induced adverse effects in alcohol-dependent patients". Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology. 32 (4): 578–80. doi:10.1097/jcp.0b013e31825ddbe6. PMID 22760354.

Ella E, Sato N, Nishizawa D, Kageyama S, Yamada H, Kurabe N, Ishino K, Tao H, Tanioka F, Nozawa A, Renyin C, Shinmura K, Ikeda K, Sugimura H (June 2012). "Association between dopamine beta hydroxylase rs5320 polymorphism and smoking behaviour in elderly Japanese". Journal of Human Genetics. 57 (6): 385–90. doi:10.1038/jhg.2012.40. PMID 22513716.

Bhaduri N, Sinha S, Chattopadhyay A, Gangopadhyay PK, Singh M, Mukhopadhyay KK (February 2005). "Analysis of polymorphisms in the dopamine beta hydroxylase gene: association with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in Indian children.

 Cubells JF, Sun X, Li W, Bonsall RW, McGrath JA, Avramopoulos D, Lasseter VK, Wolyniec PS, Tang YL, Mercer K, Pulver AE, Elston RC (November 2011). "Linkage analysis of plasma dopamine β-hydroxylase activity in families of patients with schizophrenia". Human Genetics. 130 (5): 635–43. doi:10.1007/s00439-011-0989-6. PMC 3193571. PMID 21509519.

Combarros O, Warden DR, Hammond N, Cortina-Borja M, Belbin O, Lehmann MG, Wilcock GK, Brown K, Kehoe PG, Barber R, Coto E, Alvarez V, Deloukas P, Gwilliam R, Heun R, Kölsch H, Mateo I, Oulhaj A, Arias-Vásquez A, Schuur M, Aulchenko YS, Ikram MA, Breteler MM, van Duijn CM, Morgan K, Smith AD, Lehmann DJ (2010). "The dopamine β-hydroxylase -1021C/T polymorphism is associated with the risk of Alzheimer's disease in the Epistasis Project". BMC Medical Genetics. 11 (161): 162. doi:10.1186/1471-2350-11-162. PMC 2994840. PMID 21070631.