title: Is serum uric acid related to non-motor symptoms in de-novo Parkinson's disease patients?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Low serum uric acid (UA) has been consistently shown to be associated with increased risk of Parkinson's disease (PD), and to predict faster motor and cognitive decline in established PD. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the relationship between serum UA and non-motor symptoms (NMS) in de novo PD.
  
  
  METHODS
  Serum UA was measured in consecutively recruited, early drug-naïve PD patients. Exclusion criteria were: treatment with UA modifying drugs; current smoking status; metabolic or cardiac morbidity. All patients completed the NMS Questionnaire (NMSQuest). The relationship between UA levels and NMSQuest domains was explored by logistic regression, subsequently adjusted for age, gender, disease duration (months since reported motor onset) UPDRS part III, H&Y scale, and MMSE. Regression analysis studied the overall relationship between UA levels and total NMS score, and was subsequently adjusted for age, gender, disease duration UPDRS part III, H&Y scale and MMSE.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eighty PD patients were recruited. At logistic regression, higher UA levels were related to lower involvement of Attention/Memory (p = 0.004), Cardiovascular (0.009) and Sleep (p = 0.028) domains of NMSQuest. UA levels showed a significant negative correlation with total NMSQuest score at regression analysis (p = 0.001; Adjusted R-squared = 0.319).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present study investigated, for the first time, the relationship between NMSQuest and UA in de novo PD. Lower UA was related to higher NMSQuest total score and in particular to Attention/Memory, Cardiovascular and Sleep domains. Thus, UA seems to be a major candidate to be a valuable biomarker of such early features of PD as NMS.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience, Reproductive Science and Odontostomatology, Federico II University, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Marcello
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Moccia
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience, Reproductive Science and Odontostomatology, Federico II University, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Marina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Picillo
authors.affiliation: Sobell Department of Motor Neuroscience and Movement Disorders, University College London (UCL) Institute of Neurology, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Erro
authors.affiliation: University of Naples Parthenope, Naples, Italy; IDC Hermitage-Capodimonte, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Carmine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Vitale
authors.affiliation: IDC Hermitage-Capodimonte, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Katia
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Longo
authors.affiliation: IDC Hermitage-Capodimonte, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Marianna
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Amboni
authors.affiliation: Neuropsychology Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Second University of Naples, Caserta, Italy.
authors.forename: Gabriella
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Santangelo
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience, Reproductive Science and Odontostomatology, Federico II University, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Emanuele
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Spina
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience, Reproductive Science and Odontostomatology, Federico II University, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: De Rosa
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience, Reproductive Science and Odontostomatology, Federico II University, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: De Michele
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience, Reproductive Science and Odontostomatology, Federico II University, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Lucio
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Santoro
authors.affiliation: Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (CEMAND), University of Salerno, 84131 Salerno, Italy.
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Barone
authors.affiliation: Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (CEMAND), University of Salerno, 84131 Salerno, Italy. Electronic address: mpellecchia@unisa.it.
authors.forename: Maria Teresa
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Pellecchia
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis; D008875:Middle Aged; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D014527:Uric Acid / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D014527:Uric Acid
keywords: Biomarkers; Non-motor symptoms; Parkinson's disease; Urate; Uric acid