Skin Nerve Phosphorylated α-Synuclein Deposits in Parkinson Disease With Orthostatic Hypotension

J Neuropathol Exp Neurol. 2018 Oct 1;77(10):942-949. doi: 10.1093/jnen/nly074.

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate phosphorylated α-synuclein (p-syn) in autonomic skin nerves of Parkinson disease (PD) patients with and without orthostatic hypotension (OH). We studied 28 PD patients with normal corrected Mini-Mental State Examination including 14 patients with neurogenic OH (PD + OH) and 14 matched patients did not complain of OH (PD - OH); 7 of whom were re-evaluated over a follow-up period (4 ± 2 years). Skin biopsy was performed in proximal and distal sites. PD + OH patients showed a higher p-syn deposition than PD - OH, with widespread autonomic cholinergic and adrenergic skin nerve involvement. Over the follow-up period, PD - OH patients showed an increase in motor dysfunction scores without autonomic symptoms and a slight increase of skin p-syn deposition but still lower than PD + OH, mainly restricted to adrenergic fibers of skin vessels (SV). In summary, PD + OH patients showed a wide involvement of p-syn deposits in autonomic cholinergic and adrenergic skin nerves compared with PD - OH, and PD - OH patients showed a lower load of skin p-syn restricted to adrenergic fibers of SV still persisting over the follow-up period. The data supported a different pathogenesis between PD + OH and PD - OH and may help to identify a specific diagnostic trait for PD + OH.

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Biomarkers / metabolism
  • Female
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Humans
  • Hypotension, Orthostatic / diagnosis
  • Hypotension, Orthostatic / epidemiology
  • Hypotension, Orthostatic / metabolism*
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Nerve Fibers / metabolism
  • Parkinson Disease / diagnosis
  • Parkinson Disease / epidemiology
  • Parkinson Disease / metabolism*
  • Phosphorylation / physiology
  • Skin / innervation*
  • Skin / metabolism*
  • alpha-Synuclein / metabolism*

Substances

  • Biomarkers
  • alpha-Synuclein