title: Cellular distribution of the iron-binding protein lactotransferrin in the mesencephalon of Parkinson's disease cases.
abstract: Changes in the distribution of the iron-binding protein lactotransferrin have recently been described in the central nervous system during a variety of neurodegenerative disorders. To investigate whether lactotransferrin is associated with the neuropathological changes that characterize Parkinson's disease, we analyzed the distribution of this protein in the mesencephalon of neurologically normal individuals and patients affected with Parkinson's disease using quantitative immunohistochemical methods. High levels of lactotransferrin were observed in a large population of neurons in the substantia nigra of control cases. Lactotransferrin-positive neurons were severely affected by the neurodegenerative process that occurs in Parkinson's disease as indicated by a severe decrease in the number of immunolabeled neurons in all of these cases. Quantitative analysis also demonstrated higher immunolabeling levels of lactotransferrin in the surviving neurons in the substantia nigra and ventral tegmental area of Parkinson's disease cases compared to control cases. These results suggest that lactotransferrin may participate actively in the mechanism of neuronal degeneration in Parkinson's disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Geriatrics and Adult Development, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY 10029, USA.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Leveugle
authors.forename: B A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Faucheux
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bouras
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Nillesse
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Spik
authors.forename: E C
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Hirsch
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Agid
authors.forename: P R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Hof
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D033862:Iron-Binding Proteins; D007781:Lactoferrin / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008636:Mesencephalon / Q000378:metabolism*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000378:metabolism*; D033863:Transferrin-Binding Proteins
chemical_list: D002352:Carrier Proteins; D033862:Iron-Binding Proteins; D033863:Transferrin-Binding Proteins; D007781:Lactoferrin