Session Information
Date: Tuesday, June 21, 2016
Session Title: Parkinson's disease: Pathophysiology
Session Time: 12:30pm-2:00pm
Location: Exhibit Hall located in Hall B, Level 2
Objective: Describe measures of glutathione (GSH) status in a cohort of individuals with Parkinson’s disease (PD).
Background: It is well established that redox stress contributes to PD pathophysiology and progression. Post mortem, individuals with PD have deficiency of the antioxidant GSH over controls. Recently, magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) technology has enabled the non-invasive assessment of CNS GSH status. The goal of this study was to describe central and peripheral glutathione status in individuals with PD and evaluate whether GSH status is associated with PD severity.
Methods: A cross-sectional analysis of 58 otherwise healthy individuals with PD with, Hoehn & Yahr (HY) stage 1-3, were evaluated during a single study visit. Descriptive statistics are provided for all measurements of GSH status. Scatterplots were used to evaluate normality and distribution; Spearman’s rank-order correlation coefficients were used to evaluate the strength and direction of the association. The Unified PD Rating Scale (UPDRS) and the Patient Reported Outcomes in PD (PRO-PD) were used to rate disease severity in a regression analysis.
Results: MRS spectroscopy glutathione concentrations did not correlate with peripheral glutathione measures. As anticipated, decreasing trends with age were seen for blood measures of GSH; MRS GSH did not suggest an age-related decline. The lower the blood glutathione concentration, the more severe the UPDRS (P=0.022, 95% CI: -13.96, -1.14) and the PRO-PD (P=0.01, 95% CI: -0.826, -0.119) scores. 
Conclusions: Low blood GSH was associated with greater PD symptom severity on both outcome measures of PD severity. Future studies should evaluate whether GSH status is an effect modifier for PD progression, the extent to which GSH may be modifiable by dietary or pharmaceutical intervention, and whether GSH fortification improves PD outcomes. These data suggest whole blood GSH may have utility as a biomarker in PD.
To cite this abstract in AMA style:
L.K. Mischley. Glutathione status in Parkinson’s disease [abstract]. Mov Disord. 2016; 31 (suppl 2). https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/glutathione-status-in-parkinsons-disease/. Accessed May 24, 2025.« Back to 2016 International Congress
MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/glutathione-status-in-parkinsons-disease/