title: Gender differences in Parkinson's disease: focus on plasma α-synuclein.
abstract: Among promising biological markers proposed for Parkinson's disease (PD) and other disorders related to Lewy bodies, plasma alpha-synuclein assay has provided conflicting results mainly owing to the various laboratory assay techniques used and protein forms assayed. In this observational and exploratory cross-sectional study, using an immunoenzymatic technique, we assayed and compared total plasma alpha-synuclein concentrations in 69 patients with PD and 110 age-matched healthy control subjects. Two previously unreported findings concerned gender. First, plasma alpha-synuclein concentrations measured in the more advanced parkinsonian disease stages decreased in men, but not in women. Second, again only in men, plasma alpha-synuclein concentration was associated with cognitive impairments, hallucinations, and sleep disorders. These findings underline the gender-related differences in parkinsonian patients and indicate plasma alpha-synuclein expression as a potential biological marker for PD progression in men.
authors: Department of Neurology, IRCCS Neuromed Institute, Pozzilli, IS, Italy.
authors: Giovanni
authors: G
authors: Caranci
authors: Paola
authors: P
authors: Piscopo
authors: Roberto
authors: R
authors: Rivabene
authors: Anna
authors: A
authors: Traficante
authors: Barbara
authors: B
authors: Riozzi
authors: Anna Elisa
authors: AE
authors: Castellano
authors: Stefano
authors: S
authors: Ruggieri
authors: Nicola
authors: N
authors: Vanacore
authors: Annamaria
authors: A
authors: Confaloni
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis*; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D051844:alpha-Synuclein / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D051844:alpha-Synuclein