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Colonic inflammation in Parkinson's disease
David Devos1, Thibaud Lebouvier, Bernard Lardeux
1Inserm, U913, Nantes, F-44093, France.
Neurobiology of Disease
|September 29, 2012
Summary
Parkinson's disease (PD) patients exhibit elevated gut inflammation, indicated by increased pro-inflammatory cytokines and glial markers in the colon. This suggests a significant role for peripheral inflammation in PD
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Gastroenterology
- Immunology
Background:
- Parkinson's disease (PD) is associated with Lewy pathology in the gastrointestinal tract.
- Emerging genetic data suggest a connection between PD and gut inflammation.
- The presence and extent of enteric inflammation in PD patients require further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the occurrence of gastrointestinal inflammation in Parkinson's disease patients.
- To analyze the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines and glial markers in the colons of PD patients.
- To explore correlations between inflammation markers, disease characteristics, and Lewy pathology.
Main Methods:
- Nineteen PD patients and 14 healthy controls underwent colonoscopy with colonic biopsies.
- Real-time PCR was used to quantify mRNA levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IFN-γ, IL-6, IL-1β) and glial markers (GFAP, Sox-10, S100-β).
- Immunohistochemistry was performed to detect phosphorylated alpha-synuclein (Lewy pathology).
Main Results:
- PD patients showed significantly elevated mRNA levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines and glial markers (GFAP, Sox-10) in the ascending colon compared to controls.
- Levels of TNF-α, IFN-γ, IL-6, IL-1β, and Sox-10 negatively correlated with disease duration.
- No significant correlations were found between inflammation markers and disease severity, gastrointestinal symptoms, L-dopa dose, or presence of enteric Lewy pathology.
Conclusions:
- Enteric inflammation is present in Parkinson's disease patients.
- Peripheral inflammation, particularly in the gut, may play a role in the initiation and/or progression of Parkinson's disease.
- Further research is warranted to elucidate the mechanisms linking gut inflammation to PD pathogenesis.
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