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Published on: May 30, 2015
Dermal Real-Time Quaking-Induced Conversion Is a Sensitive Marker to Confirm Isolated Rapid Eye Movement Sleep
Anastasia Kuzkina1, Celine Panzer1, Aline Seger2
1Department of Neurology, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany.
Background:
Skin biopsy is a potential tool for the premortem confirmation of an α-synucleinopathy.
Objective:
The aim was to assess the aggregation assay real-time quaking-induced conversion (RT-QuIC) of skin biopsy lysates to confirm isolated rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder (iRBD) as an α-synucleinopathy.
Methods:
Skin biopsies of patients with iRBD, Parkinson's disease (PD), and controls were analyzed using RT-QuIC and immunohistochemical detection of phospho-α-synuclein.
Results:
α-Synuclein aggregation was detected in 97.4% of iRBD patients (78.4% of iRBD biopsies), 87.2% of PD patients (70% of PD biopsies), and 13% of controls (7.9% of control biopsies), with a higher seeding activity in iRBD compared to PD. RT-QuIC was more sensitive but less specific than immunohistochemistry.
Conclusions:
Dermal RT-QuIC is a sensitive method to detect α-synuclein aggregation in iRBD, and high seeding activity may indicate a strong involvement of dermal nerve fibers in these patients. © 2023 The Authors. Movement Disorders published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.
