The serum ferrokinetics in Parkinson's disease

Ferrous ion is an essential cofactor in dopamine synthesis and its decrease may reduce the dopamine production in the nigrostriatal system, the basis of pathogenetic mechanism in Parkinson's disease (PD). Therefore, parkinsonians may have an abnormal systemic ferrokinetics. The serum iron, ferritin, total-iron-binding-capacity (TIBC) levels and transferrin saturation were analysed in 15 patients with Parkinson's disease and 30 controls. The serum iron was lower in PD (95.53 +/- 33.5 micrograms/dl) than in controls (102.5 +/- 32.5 micrograms/dl), but the difference was statistically nonsignificant. The ferritin, TIBC and transferrin saturation were also similar in both groups. The systemic ferrokinetics in our PD was normal, but the ferrokinetics between the central and systemic compartments was different in PD. Therefore, reduction of central dopamine in PD is unlikely due to hypoferruginemia.