Increased levels of hemoglobin and alpha1-microglobulin in Huntington's disease.

Hemoglobin released from damaged erythrocytes is a major pro-oxidant, generator of free radicals and inflammatory mediator. Huntington's disease is an inherited neurodegenerative disorder characterized by both neurological and systemic abnormalities, in which oxidative stress has been suggested as a possible pathogenic mechanism. In the present work we have investigated levels of hemoglobin and markers of oxidative damage, including the heme- and radical-scavenger alpha1-microglobulin, in plasma and urine samples from two separate sample cohorts, including controls, premanifest gene carriers and subjects at different stages of Huntington's disease. The results show statistically significant increased levels of hemoglobin and alpha1-microglobulin in Huntington's disease urine samples. Interestingly, urine hemoglobin levels correlate with clinical severity. The results suggest that hemolysis may be linked to the pathogenesis of Huntington's disease and that assay of hemoglobin and alpha1-microglobulin may provide biomarkers that are linked to biologically relevant processes.