title: Absence of 4,977-bp deletion of blood cell mitochondrial DNA in patients with young-onset Parkinson's disease.
abstract: Decreased mitochondrial Complex I activities and a 4,977-bp deletion in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) have been reported in patients with Parkinson's disease. Based on the assumption of possible links between this 4,977-bp deletion and the etiology of Parkinson's disease, we analyzed mtDNA of blood cells from 15 patients with young-onset Parkinson's disease after the DNA was amplified by polymerase chain reaction. We could not detect the 4,977-bp mtDNA deletion in any of these patients. This result suggests that Parkinson's disease is not a mitochondrial disease due to the 4,977-bp mtDNA deletion. The 4,977-bp deletion in mtDNA appears to be an age-related phenomenon.
authors.affiliation: Neurological Institute, Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC.
authors.forename: D E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Shan
authors.forename: S I
authors.initials: SI
authors.lastname: Yeh
authors.forename: Y C
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Wan
authors.forename: Y H
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Wei
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D001482:Base Composition / Q000235:genetics; D001773:Blood Cells; D002872:Chromosome Deletion; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008957:Models, Genetic; D016660:NAD(P)H Dehydrogenase (Quinone) / Q000235:genetics; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction
chemical_list: D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial; D016660:NAD(P)H Dehydrogenase (Quinone)