Inflammation and infection in Parkinson's disease

Histol Histopathol. 2006 Jun;21(6):673-8. doi: 10.14670/HH-21.673.

Abstract

The hallmark of Parkinson's disease (PD) is a specific degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra (SN). The cause of nigral dopaminergic neuronal cell death in PD and its underlying mechanisms remain elusive, however, involvement of inflammatory events has been postulated because inflammatory features have been described in the brain of PD patients. Some evidence also suggest that a possible deleterious effects of neuroinflammatory processes by infection in experimental models of neurodegenerative disease. In this review, we summarize and discuss the latest findings regarding inflammation in PD. Especially, we focused on the relationship between infection and PD.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Blood-Brain Barrier / physiopathology
  • Caspases / analysis
  • Caspases / physiology
  • Caspases, Initiator
  • Cell Death
  • Dopamine / analysis
  • Humans
  • Infections / complications*
  • Infections / pathology
  • Infections / physiopathology
  • Inflammation / complications*
  • Inflammation / pathology
  • Inflammation / physiopathology
  • Interleukin-1 / analysis
  • Interleukin-1 / physiology
  • Lipopolysaccharides / pharmacology
  • Neurons / chemistry
  • Neurons / drug effects
  • Neurons / pathology
  • Parkinson Disease / etiology*
  • Parkinson Disease / pathology
  • Parkinson Disease / physiopathology
  • Substantia Nigra / chemistry
  • Substantia Nigra / drug effects
  • Substantia Nigra / pathology

Substances

  • Interleukin-1
  • Lipopolysaccharides
  • Casp4 protein, mouse
  • Caspases
  • Caspases, Initiator
  • Dopamine