Alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormonelike immunoreactivity is increased in cerebrospinal fluid of patients with Parkinson's disease.
We measured alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormonelike immunoreactivity in cerebrospinal fluid of 12 healthy control subjects and nine patients with Parkinson's disease, four of whom had never been treated. Mean cerebrospinal fluid alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormonelike immunoreactivity concentration was two-fold greater in parkinsonian patients (44.1 +/- 9.3 [SD] pg/mL) as compared with control subjects (21.8 +/- 10.0 pg/mL). No significant correlation was found between cerebrospinal fluid alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormonelike immunoreactivity concentrations and patient age, disease severity, or duration of disease. These results suggest a functional relation between dopaminergic and melanotropinergic systems in the human brain.
Rainero
I
I
Laboratory of Neurosciences, National Institute on Aging, Bethesda, Md 20892.
Kaye
J A
JA
May
C
C
Durso
R
R
Katz
D I
DI
Albert
M L
ML
Wolfe
N
N
Pinessi
L
L
Friedland
R P
RP
Rapoport
S I
SI
D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D000521:alpha-MSH / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*
D000521:alpha-MSH