Objective: To examine levels of putative biomarker proteins viz., neuronal pentraxin receptor (NPTXR), carnosine dipeptidase-1 (CNDP1), dickkopf-3 (DKK3) in the serum of Parkinson’s Disease patients with cognitive dysfunction (PDCI).
Background: CSF-based non-targeted proteomics data from our earlier studies showed upregulation of NPTXR in PD, and downregulation of CNDP1 and DKK3 in PDCI. The expression levels of these proteins are unexplored in the serum, even though it is a less invasive technique of sample collection. It’s also vital to quantify the levels of PSCNA in the serum, since it is associated with the Lewy body formation in the synucleinopathy-based pathogenesis.
Method: NIMHANS neuropsychological battery-based assessments confirmed cognitive deficits in the PD patients, after which blood samples (n=25) were collected and processed for serum isolation. 30 young and 25 middle-aged and 16 age-matched control samples were also included in the ELISA-based quantitative analysis of the proteins
Results: Serum analysis showed significant alterations in the selected proteins across the study groups. NPTXR levels were significantly higher in controls in comparison to PD and PDCI (young vs. PD**0.0022, young vs. PDCI**0.0084, middle-aged vs. PDCI****0.0002, age-matched vs. PDCI****p<0.0001, PD vs. PDCI****p<0.0001). In contrast, DKK3 levels were markedly low in control subjects (young vs. PDCI****p<0.0001, middle-aged vs. PD**0.0011, middle-aged vs. PDCI****p<0.0001, age-matched vs. PDCI****p<0.0001, PD vs. PDCI*0.0120). CNDP1 also depicted differential regulation, showing lower levels in controls (young vs. PD****p<0.0001, middle-aged vs. PD****p<0.0001, age-matched vs. PDCI*0.0308) and a significant difference between PD and PDCI (p<0.0001).
Conclusion: Lower levels of NPTXR in PD and PDCI suggest sequestration of this protein along with the aggregated alpha-synuclein protein in the Lewy bodies within the CNS. Differences in the expression levels of the proteins NPTXR, DKK3 and CNDP1 in PD and PDCI indicate their potential role in the pathogenesis and possible involvement of alternative pathways in the progression of PD and PDCI.
To cite this abstract in AMA style:
R. Bhavani, S. Choudhury, NC. Krithika, K. Krishnakumari, V. Holla, P. Pal, N. Kamble, S. Hegde, R. Yadav, P. Alladi. Serum Based biomarkers in Parkinson’s disease with and without cognitive deficits. [abstract]. Mov Disord. 2026; 41 (suppl 1). https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/serum-based-biomarkers-in-parkinsons-disease-with-and-without-cognitive-deficits/. Accessed October 1, 2026.« Back to 2026 International Congress
MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/serum-based-biomarkers-in-parkinsons-disease-with-and-without-cognitive-deficits/