Low plasma homovanillic acid levels in recently abstinent alcoholic men.

OBJECTIVE

To explore dopaminergic mechanisms in alcohol dependence, the authors measured plasma homovanillic acid (HVA) in recently detoxified alcohol-dependent men.

METHOD: Plasma HVA was measured in 83 male patients with a diagnosis of alcohol dependence who had maintained documented abstinence for at least 3 weeks and in 69 healthy male comparison subjects.

RESULTS

The alcoholic patients as a group had significantly lower levels of plasma HVA than the comparison subjects. This difference was not influenced by any other measured covariate, including a family history of alcohol dependence.

CONCLUSIONS

These results imply that factors such as alcohol dependence should be taken into account in future studies of plasma HVA.