Erythrocytic alpha-synuclein in early Parkinson's disease: A 3-year longitudinal study. (November 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Liu, Genliang; Yu, Zhenwei; Gao, Liyan; Zheng, Yuanchu; Feng, Tao
• Is Part Of: Parkinsonism & related disorders. Volume 104(2022)
• Page Start: 44
• Page End: 48
• Publication Date: 2022-11
• Subjects: Early diagnosis -- Parkinson disease -- Biomarker -- Erythrocyte -- Longitudinal study; Parkinson's disease -- Periodicals; Movement disorders -- Periodicals; Movement Disorders -- Periodicals; Nerve Degeneration -- Periodicals; Nervous System Diseases -- Periodicals; Parkinson Disease -- Periodicals; Tremor -- Periodicals; Parkinson, Maladie de -- Périodiques; Parkinson's disease; 616.833
• DOI: 10.1016/j.parkreldis.2022.09.011
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1353-8020

Abstract

Abstract: Background: Early diagnosis of Parkinson's disease (PD) could significantly improve outcomes for patients and future disease-modifying treatments. Several studies have revealed that α-synuclein levels in peripheral erythrocytes are associated with PD, but the diagnostic value in early PD is still unknown. Methods: This study included both cross-sectional and longitudinal design. The subjects included 45 patients with early PD and 79 age-matched healthy controls. Participants were re-examined with repeated blood collection and clinical assessments after 3 years. The electrochemiluminescence assay was used to measure total and oligomeric α-synuclein levels respectively. The diagnostic value of erythrocytic α-synuclein for early PD was determined by receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve. Correlations between RBC α-synuclein levels and changes over 3 years in clinical characteristic scores were further investigated with a linear regression. Results: Total and oligomeric α-synuclein levels in erythrocyte were significantly increased in early PD groups compared with control group (Total α-synuclein, p < 0.001; Oligomer, p < 0.001). Levels of total and oligomeric α-synuclein in erythrocytes were correlated with MDS-UPDRS III scores in early PD (Total α-synuclein, p = 0.008; Oligomer, p = 0.037). After adjusting for age, gender and dopaminergic medication, an association was found between higher erythrocytic oligomeric α-synuclein levels at baseline and greater increase in MDS-UPDRS III scores over 3 years ( p = 0.007). Conclusion: Our study suggests that total and oligomeric α-synuclein in erythrocyte were elevated even in the initial motor stage of PD. Higher erythrocytic oligomeric α-synuclein levels at baseline predicts a faster clinical decline over time in patients with early PD. Highlights: We showed that total and oligomeric α-synuclein in erythrocyte were elevated even in the initial motor stage of PD. We also showed that higher erythrocytic oligomeric α-synuclein levels at baseline predicts a faster clinical decline over time in patients with early PD.