Low levels of alpha-synuclein in peripheral tissues are related to clinical relapse in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis: a pilot cross-sectional study

• Published in: Journal of the neurological sciences Vol. 396; pp. 87 - 93
• Main Authors: Mejía, Manuel, Rodríguez-Leyva, Ildefonso, Cortés-Enríquez, Fernando, Chi-Ahumada, Erika, Portales-Pérez, Diana Patricia, Macías-Islas, Miguel Angel, Jiménez-Capdeville, María E.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 15.01.2019
• Subjects: Adult; alpha-Synuclein - blood; alpha-Synuclein - metabolism; Antigens, CD - metabolism; Biopsy; Blood Cells - pathology; Blood Cells - ultrastructure; Cell Nucleolus - metabolism; Cell Nucleolus - pathology; Cross-Sectional Studies; Female; Flow Cytometry; Follow-Up Studies; Giant Cells, Langhans - metabolism; Giant Cells, Langhans - pathology; Humans; Immunohistochemistry; Lectins, C-Type - metabolism; Male; Mannose-Binding Lectins - metabolism; Middle Aged; Multiple sclerosis; Multiple Sclerosis, Relapsing-Remitting - blood; Multiple Sclerosis, Relapsing-Remitting - drug therapy; Multiple Sclerosis, Relapsing-Remitting - pathology; Neurology; Peripheral blood mononuclear cells; Pilot Projects; Skin; Skin - drug effects; Skin - metabolism; Statistics, Nonparametric; Steroids - therapeutic use; Young Adult; α-Synuclein; Immunohistochemistry; Peripheral blood mononuclear cells; α-Synuclein; Flow cytometry; Multiple sclerosis; Skin
• ISSN: 0022-510X; 1878-5883; 1878-5883
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jns.2018.11.003

The protein alpha-synuclein (α-Syn) has been linked to neuroinflammatory conditions. We investigated whether the presence of α-Syn in peripheral tissues is a surrogate of brain inflammatory status in a small group of relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) patients in a pilot cross-sectional study. Skin biopsies and peripheral blood were sampled from 34 healthy controls and 23 MS patients for measurement of α-Syn levels. Within the RRMS group 15 patients were in remission, and 8 patients were in the relapsing phase. The protein α-Syn was evaluated by means of immunohistochemistry and flow cytometry in skin and nucleated blood cells, respectively. In the skin, α-Syn levels were lower in relapsing MS than in the other groups, both in positive area (p = .021) and staining intensity (p = .004). In blood, the percentage of α-Syn-positive lymphocytes and monocytes were not statistically different between study groups. Moreover, the use of systemic steroids did not affect α-Syn positivity in MS-relapse patients. Finally, epidermic Langerhans cells did not stain positively for α-Syn. Overall, the levels of α-Syn positivity were lower in inflammatory relapse of RRMS patients when measured in peripheral tissues. We discuss the role of α-Syn levels in inflammation according to the obtained results. •Levels of α-Syn are lower in the skin of relapsing MS patients.•α-Syn positivity is similar in skin of control subjects and remitting MS patients.•Steroid methylprednisolone did not modify α-Syn positivity in peripheral tissues.•Cutaneous Langerhans cells did not show positivity to α-Syn protein.•Cutaneous α-Syn levels are inversely related to clinical inflammation in MS.