ALPHA-SYNUCLEIN DOES NOT INDICATE PARKINSON’S DISEASE

January 23, 2018

Although it is sometimes claimed that an accumulation of alpha-synuclein causes Parkinson’s Disease, Parkinson’s Disease instead can cause alpha-synuclein to accumulate. It has been suggested that alpha-synuclein could therefore be a valuable biomarker for Parkinson’s Disease. So the levels of alpha-synuclein in the plasma was assessed in various types of Parkinson’s Disease. Alpha-synuclein is commonly found in the brain. For more information go to : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alpha-synuclein 

Methods: People with Parkinson’s Disease were compared to healthy volunteers who were matched by age and gender. They were assessed with Parkinson’s Disease symptom scales. However, the levels of alpha-synuclein did not differ significantly between people with Parkinson’s Disease and people who did not have Parkinson’s Disease. There was no difference between different subtypes either. Yet there was an inverse correlation between alpha-synuclein and the Postural Instability and Gait Disorder (PIGD) subtype.

Conclusions: Plasma alpha-synuclein levels are not valuable biomarkers of Parkinson’s Disease. It does not differ in the subtypes of Parkinson’s Disease either. However, there is an inverse relation between plasma alpha-synuclein levels level and the severity of Parkinson’s Disease in the Postural Instability and Gait Disorder (PIGD) subtype.

Reference : Neurologia i Neurochirurgia Polska [2017] Nov 21 [Epub ahead of print] (M. Malec-Litwinowicz, A.Plewka, D.Plewka, E.Bogunia, M.Morek, A.Szczudlik, M. Szubiga, M.Rudzinska-Bar)

Complete abstract : http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29342421

http://www.viartis.net/parkinsons.disease/news/180123.pdf