Hair glucocorticoid levels in Parkinson's disease

Parkinson's disease (PD) and metabolic syndrome (MetS) share certain pathophysiological pathways, including hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis dysfunction. Hair glucocorticoid (GC) levels reflect longer-term HPA-axis function and can provide additional insights into the role of a dysregulated HPA-axis in PD and co-occurring cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk.

In a case-control study we examined the association of PD diagnosis, clinical features and PD-CVD risk (as defined by the MetS) co-occurrence with hair GC (cortisol and cortisone) levels.

Hair samples, representing a three-month retrospective window of GC levels, were collected and analysed utilizing liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry in 56 females (25 PD patients and 31 controls) of mixed ancestry, aged between 45 and 78 years (PD patients, M = 64.5, SD = 8.4; controls, M = 55.7, SD = 6.9). Multivariate regression models were constructed with PD diagnostic status, clinical features and MetS comorbidity regressed on hair GC levels, adjusting for potential confounders.

The prevalence of MetS was 56.0 % in PD patients and 25.8 % in controls. Hair cortisone (adj B = 5.44, 95 % CI 2.05; 8.83, p =  0.002), but not hair cortisol levels (adj B = 0.05, 95 % CI -0.12; 0.22, p =  0.539), were significantly higher (Cohen's d = 0.87) in PD patients than in controls. Non-motor symptoms of PD (e.g., mood and anxiety) were significantly associated with hair cortisone levels (adj B = 0.29, 95 % CI 0.07; 0.51, p =  0.014). MetS was not associated with hair GC levels and there were no significant interactions between PD and MetS on hair GC levels.

This study is the first study reporting on hair GC levels in PD. We found chronically increased cortisone, but not cortisol, levels in PD patients compared to controls. Furthermore, hair cortisone levels were significantly positively associated with PD symptoms related to mood, anhedonia, and anxiety. Hair GC levels were not associated with PD-MetS comorbidity in this sample. Hair cortisone levels may provide additional insights into HPA-axis dysfunction in PD.