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Body composition in premanifest Huntington's disease reveals lower bone density compared to controls

Anna O G Goodman1, Roger A Barker

  • 1University of Cambridge.

Plos Currents
|March 2, 2012
PubMed

Insights

Huntington's disease (HD) patients show lower bone density before symptoms appear. This early change, detected via DEXA scans, may serve as a biomarker for neurodegenerative diseases.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Genetics
  • Biochemistry

Background:

  • Huntington's disease (HD) is a fatal neurodegenerative disorder.
  • Classical HD symptoms include motor, cognitive, and psychiatric issues.
  • Unexplained weight loss is common in HD patients, but its cause is unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate body composition changes in premanifest Huntington's disease.
  • To compare bone mineral density in individuals with premanifest HD versus controls.
  • To explore potential early biomarkers for Huntington's disease.

Main Methods:

  • Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) scans were used to assess body composition.
  • 25 individuals with premanifest HD were compared to 25 control subjects.
  • Hormonal and vitamin levels (testosterone, cortisol, leptin, Vitamin D) were analyzed.

Main Results:

  • Premanifest HD individuals exhibited significantly lower bone mineral density z-scores compared to controls.
  • This reduction in bone density was not linked to differences in testosterone, cortisol, leptin, or Vitamin D levels.
  • Findings align with observations in the R6/2 transgenic mouse model of HD.

Conclusions:

  • Reduced bone mineral density is an early, gene-related change in Huntington's disease.
  • This finding suggests a potential biomarker for premanifest HD.
  • The observed bone density changes may indicate a common pathological process across neurodegenerative diseases.

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