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Updated: May 21, 2025
Targeting Alpha Synuclein Aggregates in Cutaneous Peripheral Nerve Fibers by Free-floating Immunofluorescence Assay
Published on: June 25, 2019
Phosphorylated alpha-synuclein distribution in the colonic enteric nervous system of patients with diverticular
François Cossais1, Marie Christin Hörnke1, Katja Schröder1
1Institute of Anatomy, Kiel University, Kiel, Germany.
Background:
Phosphorylated alpha-synuclein (P-aSyn) is a biomarker for Parkinson's disease (PD), with potential relevance in intestinal inflammatory disorders.
Objectives:
This study examines the distribution of P-aSyn in colonic tissues of patients with diverticular disease (DD) compared to age-matched controls.
Methods:
P-aSyn distribution was analyzed in colon samples of 45 patients with diverticulitis (D-itis), 12 with diverticulosis (D-osis), and 30 controls via immunohistochemistry.
Results:
P-aSyn immunoreactivity was found along enteric neurons of the myenteric and submucosal plexus in 93.1 % of participants, with similar distribution across D-itis, D-osis, and controls. Elevated reactivity appeared in 16.7 % of D-osis, 19.6 % of D-itis, and 30.0 % of controls.
Conclusion:
P-aSyn presence in colonic tissue did not significantly differ between DD patients and controls, suggesting that DD-related inflammation does not notably affect P-aSyn expression. Further research is warranted to explore aSyn roles within the enteric nervous system in intestinal inflammatory disorders and their relation with neurodegenerative diseases.
