BACKGROUND: Despite clinicopathological evidence that Parkinson's disease (PD) may begin in peripheral tissues, identification of premotor Parkinson's disease is not yet possible. Alpha-synuclein aggregation underlies Parkinson's disease pathology, and its presence in peripheral tissues may be a reliable disease biomarker. OBJECTIVE: We sought evidence of alpha-synuclein pathology in colonic tissues before the development of characteristic Parkinson's disease motor symptoms. METHODS: Old colon biopsy samples were available for three subjects with PD. Biopsies were obtained 2-5 years before PD onset. We performed immunohistochemistry studies for the presence of alpha-synuclein and Substance P in these samples. RESULTS: All subjects showed immunostaining for alpha-synuclein (two, five and two years before first motor Parkinson's disease symptom). No similar alpha-synuclein immunostaining was seen in 23 healthy controls. Staining of samples for substance P suggested colocalization of alpha-synuclein and substance P in perikarya and neurites. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first demonstration of alpha-synuclein in colon tissue prior to onset of PD. Additional study is required to determine whether colonic mucosal biopsy may be a biomarker of premotor PD.
BACKGROUND: Despite clinicopathological evidence that Parkinson's disease (PD) may begin in peripheral tissues, identification of premotor Parkinson's disease is not yet possible. Alpha-synuclein aggregation underlies Parkinson's disease pathology, and its presence in peripheral tissues may be a reliable disease biomarker. OBJECTIVE: We sought evidence of alpha-synuclein pathology in colonic tissues before the development of characteristic Parkinson's disease motor symptoms. METHODS: Old colon biopsy samples were available for three subjects with PD. Biopsies were obtained 2-5 years before PD onset. We performed immunohistochemistry studies for the presence of alpha-synuclein and Substance P in these samples. RESULTS: All subjects showed immunostaining for alpha-synuclein (two, five and two years before first motor Parkinson's disease symptom). No similar alpha-synuclein immunostaining was seen in 23 healthy controls. Staining of samples for substance P suggested colocalization of alpha-synuclein and substance P in perikarya and neurites. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first demonstration of alpha-synuclein in colon tissue prior to onset of PD. Additional study is required to determine whether colonic mucosal biopsy may be a biomarker of premotor PD.
Authors: Nady Braidy; Wei-Ping Gai; Ying Hua Xu; Perminder Sachdev; Gilles J Guillemin; Xing-Mai Jiang; J William O Ballard; Martin P Horan; Zhi Ming Fang; Beng H Chong; Daniel Kam Yin Chan Journal: Neurotox Res Date: 2013-09-12 Impact factor: 3.911
Authors: Liancai Mu; Jingming Chen; Stanislaw Sobotka; Themba Nyirenda; Brian Benson; Fiona Gupta; Ira Sanders; Charles H Adler; John N Caviness; Holly A Shill; Marwan Sabbagh; Johan E Samanta; Lucia I Sue; Thomas G Beach Journal: Dysphagia Date: 2015-06-04 Impact factor: 3.438
Authors: Ayse Ulusoy; Robert J Phillips; Michael Helwig; Michael Klinkenberg; Terry L Powley; Donato A Di Monte Journal: Acta Neuropathol Date: 2016-12-23 Impact factor: 17.088