title: Plasma melatonin is reduced in Huntington's disease.
abstract: This study was undertaken to determine whether the production of melatonin, a hormone regulating sleep in relation to the light/dark cycle, is altered in Huntington's disease. We analyzed the circadian rhythm of melatonin in a 24-hour study of cohorts of control, premanifest, and stage II/III Huntington's disease subjects. The mean and acrophase melatonin concentrations were significantly reduced in stage II/III Huntington's disease subjects compared with controls. We also observed a nonsignificant trend toward reduced mean and acrophase melatonin in premanifest Huntington's disease subjects. Onset of melatonin rise was significantly more temporally spread in both premanifest and stage II/III Huntington's disease subjects compared with controls. A nonsignificant trend also was seen for reduced pulsatile secretion of melatonin. Melatonin concentrations are reduced in Huntington's disease. Altered melatonin patterns may provide an explanation for disrupted sleep and circadian behavior in Huntington's disease, and represent a biomarker for disease state. Melatonin therapy may help the sleep disorders seen in Huntington's disease.
authors.affiliation: Reta Lila Weston Institute of Neurological Studies, Department of Molecular Neurosciences, UCL Institute of Neurology, London, UK.
authors.forename: Eirini
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kalliolia
authors.forename: Edina
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Silajdžić
authors.forename: Rajasree
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Nambron
authors.forename: Nathan R
authors.initials: NR
authors.lastname: Hill
authors.forename: Anisha
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Doshi
authors.forename: Chris
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Frost
authors.forename: Hilary
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Watt
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hindmarsh
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Björkqvist
authors.forename: Thomas T
authors.initials: TT
authors.lastname: Warner
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D005583:Fourier Analysis; D006801:Humans; D006816:Huntington Disease / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008550:Melatonin / Q000097:blood*; D008875:Middle Aged; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
chemical_list: D008550:Melatonin
keywords: Huntington's disease; circadian rhythm; melatonin