A new research study conducted by the University of Alabama at Birmingham supports the premise that there is a connection between inflammation and Parkinson’s disease early in the disease’s progression. The findings were published online in Movement Disorders. The study found reason to accept the conclusion that central inflammation is observed early in the disease process of Parkinson’s. The study found that inflammation is independent of treatment for the disease and correlates with cognitive features and certain peripheral markers of inflammation.
Dr. Talene Yacoubian is a professor in the Department of Neurology at Marnix E. Heersink School of Medicine.
“An association between inflammation and Parkinson’s is well known, but a fundamental question remains unanswered,” said Dr. Yacoubian. “Does inflammation play a role in the onset of Parkinson’s, or is it a byproduct of the disease itself? Our findings show that inflammation is present in the early stages of the disease.”
Yacoubian’s team studied 58 people newly diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease and compared them with 62 healthy control subjects.
“Enrolling study subjects early in their disease progression was significant,” said Yacoubian. “We wanted to see if inflammation was present early on in the disease, before patients had even begun on Parkinson’s medications.”
Yacoubian holds the John A. and Ruth R. Jurenko endowed professorship at UAB.
The team used PET imaging to target translocator protein, or TSPO, a protein found primarily in microglial cells and other immune cells in the brain. Increased TSPO is associated with inflammation.
Yacoubian and colleagues used a radioligand developed in Europe called 18F-DPA-714. Once injected into the bloodstream, this radioactive molecule binds to TSPO, causing it to light up on PET imaging.
“We found elevations in TSPO binding in untreated subjects at early stages of Parkinson’s, indicating the presence of inflammation,” Yacoubian said. “Our data clearly demonstrate that increased TSPO binding is present in Parkinson’s independent of treatment effects. Our multimodal study provides further evidence that TSPO signal as measured by 18F-DPA-714 is a marker of inflammation.”
Economic developer Dr. Nicole Jones told Alabama Today, “UAB continues to meet the medical needs of residents in central Alabama and is known as a research and development leader. Through R&D, physicians learn more about debilitating diseases, which can help identify potential treatments. Congratulations to UAB on the grant awarded by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke/NIH/DHHS to further study Parkinson’s. Your continued pursuit has the opportunity to help shape the lives of Alabamians and the world.”
Yacoubian says several key gaps remain as to the role of inflammation in Parkinson’s disease, including the potential effects of Parkinson’s treatments on inflammation, whether or not inflammation changes over time, and whether or not pro-inflammatory signals predict a more rapid progression of the disease.
Early symptoms of Parkinson’s can include tremors in hands, slowness and paucity of movement, limb stiffness, and gait and balance problems. Non-motor symptoms of Parkinson’s include depression, anxiety, apathy, hallucinations, constipation, orthostatic hypotension, sleep disorders, loss of sense of smell, and a variety of cognitive impairments.
There is no cure for Parkinson’s, but treatments and lifestyle changes can benefit persons diagnosed with the ailment. Pope John Paul II, actor Michael J. Fox, boxer Muhammed Ali, President George H. Bush, evangelist Billy Graham, former presidential candidate Jesse Jackson, and former attorney general Janet Reno are notable people diagnosed with Parkinson’s.
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