Rate of cell death in parkinsonism indicates active neuropathological process.
It has been hypothesized that idiopathic parkinsonism might be due to age-related attrition of dopamine neurons occurring long after an initial acute episode. We present evidence against this hypothesis, based on our finding of at least six times as many HLA-DR-positive microglia phagocytosing dopamine neurons in parkinsonian brains as in control brains. This difference indicates an active pathological process.
McGeer
P L
PL
Kinsmen Laboratory of Neurological Research, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.
Itagaki
S
S
Akiyama
H
H
McGeer
E G
EG
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D002452:Cell Count; D004298:Dopamine / Q000378:metabolism*; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008875:Middle Aged; D010302:Parkinson Disease, Secondary / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D010587:Phagocytosis; D013378:Substantia Nigra / Q000032:analysis / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*
D006023:Glycoproteins; D004298:Dopamine