title: Peripheral expression of key regulatory kinases in Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease.
abstract: Alteration of key regulatory kinases may cause aberrant protein phosphorylation and aggregation in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Parkinson's disease (PD). In this study, we investigated expression and phosphorylation status of glycogen synthase kinase 3 (GSK-3), protein kinase B (Akt) and tau protein in peripheral blood lymphocytes of 20 AD, 25 PD patients and 20 healthy controls. GSK-3 was increased in AD and PD patients. In these latter, GSK-3 levels were positively correlated with daily L-Dopa intake. Phosphorylated Akt expression was augmented in both groups; total Akt levels were increased only in AD patients and were positively correlated with disease duration and severity. Total and phosphorylated tau were increased only in AD, with phospho-tau levels being positively correlated with levels of total tau, Akt, and disease duration. No correlations between protein levels and clinical variables were found in PD patients. Investigation of peripheral changes in the expression of specific kinases may, therefore, lead to the development of innovative biomarkers of neurodegeneration, particularly for AD.
authors.affiliation: Interdepartmental Research Center for Parkinson's Disease, IRCCS Neurological Institute C. Mondino, Via Mondino 2, 27100 Pavia (PV), Italy. marie.armentero@mondino.it
authors.forename: M T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Armentero
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sinforiani
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ghezzi
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bazzini
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Levandis
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ambrosi
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zangaglia
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pacchetti
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cereda
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cova
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Basso
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Celi
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Martignoni
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Nappi
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Blandini
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000201:enzymology*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005260:Female; D015971:Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic; D038362:Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D006801:Humans; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000201:enzymology*; D008297:Male; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000201:enzymology*; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D016875:tau Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; C054369:MAPT protein, human; D016875:tau Proteins; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; D038362:Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3