Quantification of Alpha-Synuclein in Biological Fluids by Electrochemiluminescence-Based Detection

Several potential marker candidates for Parkinson's disease (PD) in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) have been identified. These include α-synuclein, a major constituent of the intracellular aggregates Lewy bodies, a neuropathological hallmark of PD, and others. The extracellular presence of α-synuclein in blood, CSF, saliva, and conditioned media motivated the hypothesis that the quantification of CSF α-synuclein is a biomarker for α-synuclein-related disorders. We here describe the development of an electrochemiluminescence-based assay by conversion of an established ELISA for quantification of α-synuclein. The assay not only works with CSF but can also be used to quantify α-synuclein in different biological fluids, i.e., whole blood and blood products, saliva, as well as brain homogenates and cell culture material.