[Excretion of catecholamines and DOPA in the urine of patients with pulmonary tuberculosis during chemotherapy].

The results of the study on urine excretion of catecholamines such as adrenaline, noradrenaline, dopamine and their precursor DOPA in 59 patients with active tuberculosis of the lung and varying tolerance of the chemotherapeutics are presented. After adverse reactions have developed to the drugs, there are changes in monoamine excretion, which remained for long periods after elimination of clinical signs of intoxication. The changes were indicative of overstrain of the sympathetic-adrenal system which might be the cause of drug intolerance relapsing after a new start of the chemotherapy. Such patients should be registered in risk groups. They require long-term nonspecific hyposensitization.