Co-occurrence of sporadic parkinsonism and late-onset Alzheimer's disease in a Brazilian male with the LRRK2 p.G2019S mutation.
Mutations in the leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2) gene represent the most common known genetic cause of inherited and idiopathic Parkinson's disease (PD) in different populations. The predicted multifunctionality of LRRK2 product and the pleomorphic pathology associated with LRRK2 mutations place this gene as a potential candidate for other neurodegenerative disorders, mainly Alzheimer's disease (AD). We report a Brazilian male expressing both late-onset AD and slowly progressive parkinsonism signs, and who presented the most frequent LRRK2 mutation (p.G2019S). Although the co-occurrence of PD and AD would be expected occasionally, the shared mechanisms between the two complex disorders are still unclear and are discussed herein. In light of recent findings about the wide role of LRRK2 under normal and pathological conditions, it is tempting to speculate that LRRK2 mutations might play an upstream influence on the etiology of not just PD but also several alpha-synuclein and tau pathologies, including AD.
Santos-Rebouças
Cíntia B
CB
Abdalla
Cláudia B
CB
Baldi
Fábio José R
FJ
Martins
Paloma A
PA
Corrêa
Juliana C
JC
Gonçalves
Andressa P
AP
Cunha
Marcela S
MS
Borges
Margarete B
MB
Pereira
João S
JS
Laks
Jerson
J
Pimentel
Márcia M G
MM
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000150:complications* / Q000235:genetics*; D001938:Brazil; D006801:Humans; D000071158:Leucine-Rich Repeat Serine-Threonine Protein Kinase-2; D008297:Male; D020734:Parkinsonian Disorders / Q000150:complications* / Q000235:genetics*; D017354:Point Mutation; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000235:genetics*
C495280:LRRK2 protein, human; D000071158:Leucine-Rich Repeat Serine-Threonine Protein Kinase-2; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases