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Lookup NU author(s): Professor Tiago OuteiroORCiD
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).
© 2017 The Author(s).Parkinson's disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder known for the typical motor features associated. Pathologically, it is characterized by the intracellular accumulation of alpha-synuclein (aSyn) in Lewy bodies and Lewy neurites. Currently, there are no established biochemical markers for diagnosing or for following disease progression, a major limitation for the clinical practice. Posttranslational modifications (PTMs) in aSyn have been identified and implicated on its pathobiology. Since aSyn is abundant in blood erythrocytes, we aimed to evaluate whether PTMs of aSyn in the blood might hold value as a biomarker for PD. We examined 58 patients with PD and 30 healthy age-matched individuals. We found that the levels of Y125 phosphorylated, Y39 nitrated, and glycated aSyn were increased in PD, while those of SUMO were reduced. A combinatory analysis of the levels of these PTMs resulted in an increased sensitivity, with an area under curve (AUC) of 0.843 for PD versus healthy controls, and correlated with disease severity and duration. We conclude that the levels of these selected PTMs hold strong potential as biochemical markers for PD. Ultimately, our findings might facilitate the monitoring of disease progression in clinical trials, opening the possibility for developing more effective therapies against PD.
Author(s): Miranda HV, Cássio R, Correia-Guedes L, Gomes MA, Chegão A, Miranda E, Soares T, Coelho M, Rosa MM, Ferreira JJ, Outeiro TF
Publication type: Article
Publication status: Published
Journal: Scientific Reports
Year: 2017
Volume: 7
Online publication date: 20/10/2017
Acceptance date: 05/10/2017
Date deposited: 20/12/2017
ISSN (electronic): 2045-2322
Publisher: Nature Publishing Group
URL: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-14175-5
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-14175-5
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