title: Gallium-transferrin binding in treated and untreated Parkinson's disease.
abstract: The binding of gallium (Ga) to transferrin (Tf) was studied in plasma from control patients, in patients with untreated Parkinson's disease (PD) and in patients with PD treated either with levodopa (L-dopa) alone or in combination with selegiline. Mean percentage Ga-Tf binding was significantly reduced in untreated and treated PD compared with controls. Binding, however, was significantly greater in treated than in untreated patients. There was no difference in binding between patients treated with L-dopa alone and those treated with L-dopa and selegiline. The data support the hypothesis that oxidation reactions may be of pathogenic significance in PD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutical and Biological Sciences, Aston University, Birmingham, UK.
authors.forename: S J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Winsper
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Armstrong
authors.forename: P S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Hodgkins
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Blair
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000978:Antiparkinson Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005708:Gallium / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D007980:Levodopa / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D011485:Protein Binding; D012642:Selegiline / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014168:Transferrin / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000978:Antiparkinson Agents; D014168:Transferrin; D012642:Selegiline; D007980:Levodopa; D005708:Gallium