Lymphomonocyte alpha-synuclein levels in aging and in Parkinson disease

• Published in: Neurobiology of aging Vol. 31; no. 5; pp. 884 - 885
• Main Authors: Brighina, Laura, Prigione, Alessandro, Begni, Barbara, Galbussera, Alessio, Andreoni, Simona, Piolti, Roberto, Ferrarese, Carlo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Elsevier Inc 01.05.2010; Elsevier
• Subjects: Adult; Age; Aged; Aging - metabolism; Alpha-synuclein; alpha-Synuclein - metabolism; Biological and medical sciences; Degenerative and inherited degenerative diseases of the nervous system. Leukodystrophies. Prion diseases; Development. Senescence. Regeneration. Transplantation; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gender; Humans; Internal Medicine; Leukocytes, Mononuclear - metabolism; Lymphomonocytes; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Neurology; Parkinson disease; Parkinson Disease - metabolism; Proteasome; Proteasome Endopeptidase Complex - metabolism; Regression Analysis; Sex Factors; Statistics, Nonparametric; Vertebrates: nervous system and sense organs; Parkinson disease; Lymphomonocytes; Gender; Alpha-synuclein; Age; Proteasome; Multicatalytic endopeptidase complex; Nervous system diseases; Senescence; Enzyme; Sex; Cerebral disorder; Peptidases; Central nervous system disease; Hydrolases; Degenerative disease; α-synuclein; Extrapyramidal syndrome
• ISSN: 0197-4580; 1558-1497; 1558-1497
• DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2008.06.010

In this study we employed an ELISA assay to measure alpha-synuclein protein in lymphomonocytes from 78 PD patients and 78 controls. We correlated protein levels with demographic and clinical characteristics and with the chymotryptic and tryptic activities of the 20S proteasome. Alpha-synuclein levels were not significantly different between patients and controls. In control subjects, alpha-synuclein protein levels increased significantly with age and were significantly higher in men compared to women. Proteasome activity was not significantly different between cases and controls. In control group, the 20S chymotryptic activity tended to decrease significantly with increasing age, though it was not correlated to alpha-synuclein levels. The 20S tryptic activity was not significantly correlated to age, but was inversely correlated to alpha-synuclein levels. Our findings suggest that alpha-synuclein levels in lymphomonocytes are affected by age, gender, and by the 20S proteasome activity in control subjects, but they are not useful as a diagnostic biomarker for PD.