Objective: To identify possible differences in monomeric/dimeric α-synuclein levels in erythrocytes derived from PD patients from different genetic backgrounds, and check for potential links between α-synuclein levels and clinical or cognitive characteristics of PD patients.

Background: Variations of α-synuclein levels or species have been reported in plasma and cerebrospinal fluid from Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients.

Methods: Levels of monomeric and dimeric α-synuclein were assessed in PD patients from genetically undetermined background (n=56), α-synuclein (G209A/A53T, n=12) or glucocerebrosidase mutation carriers (n=20) and age-/sex-matched healthy controls (n=54) using Western immunoblots of lysates derived from erythrocyte membranes.

Results: A statistically significant increase in α-synuclein dimer levels and in the dimer to monomer ratio was found in genetically undetermined and glucocerebrosidase mutation carrier PD patients compared to healthy controls. No difference was found in α-synuclein monomer levels of the above categories or in monomer/dimer levels of α-synuclein mutation carriers. A positive correlation was found between age and the dimer to monomer ratio in genetically undetermined PD patients (r=0.338, P=0.028).

Conclusions: The increased α-synuclein dimer levels are suggestive of an apparent systemic dysfunction causing the dimerization, and potentially oligomerization, of α-synuclein in genetically undetermined and glucocerebrosidase mutation carriers and it may serve as a potentially useful peripheral biomarker for PD.

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MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/alpha-synuclein-levels-and-dimerization-in-erythrocytes-of-parkinsons-disease-patients/