Cerebrospinal fluid metabolite and nigrostriatal dopaminergic function in Parkinson's disease.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the association between cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) homovanillic acid (HVA) concentrations and nigrostriatal dopaminergic function assessed by positron emission tomography (PET) imaging with carbon-11-labeled 2beta-carbomethoxy-3beta-(4-fluorophenyl)-tropane ((11)C-CFT), which can measure the dopamine transporter (DAT) density, in Parkinson's disease (PD).


METHODS
(11)C-CFT PET scans and CSF examinations were performed on 21 patients with PD, and six patients with non-parkinsonian syndromes (NPS) as a control group.


RESULTS
In the PD group, CSF HVA concentrations were significantly correlated with the striatal uptake of (11)C-CFT (r = 0.76, P < 0.01). However, in the NPS group, two indices were within the normal range.


CONCLUSIONS
In PD, CSF HVA concentrations correlate with nigrostriatal dopaminergic function. Therefore, CSF HVA concentrations may be an additional surrogate marker for estimating the remaining nigrostriatal dopaminergic function in case that DAT imaging is unavailable.
Ishibashi
K
K
Department of Neurology and Neurological Science, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Japan.
Kanemaru
K
K
Saito
Y
Y
Murayama
S
S
Oda
K
K
Ishiwata
K
K
Mizusawa
H
H
Ishii
K
K
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001479:Basal Ganglia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism*; D004298:Dopamine / Q000378:metabolism*; D050483:Dopamine Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006719:Homovanillic Acid / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D012189:Retrospective Studies
D050483:Dopamine Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins; D004298:Dopamine; D006719:Homovanillic Acid