title: High affinity hemoglobin and Parkinson's disease.
abstract: Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra (SN) region of the midbrain. Oxidative damage in this region has been shown to play an important role in the pathogenesis of this disease. Human neurons have been discovered to contain hemoglobin, with an increased concentration seen in the neurons of the SN. High affinity hemoglobin is a clinical entity resulting from mutations that create a functional increase in the binding of hemoglobin to oxygen and an inability to efficiently unload it to tissues. This can result in a number of metabolic compensatory changes, including an elevation in circulating hemoglobin and an increase in the molecule 2,3-diphosphoglycerate (2,3-DPG). Population based studies have revealed that patients with PD have elevated hemoglobin as well as 2,3-DPG levels. Based on these observations, we hypothesize that the oxidative damage seen in PD is related to an underlying high affinity hemoglobin subtype.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
authors.forename: Jeffrey
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Graham
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
authors.forename: Douglas
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hobson
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Electronic address: aponnampalam@cancercare.mb.ca.
authors.forename: Arjuna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ponnampalam
mesh_terms: D019794:2,3-Diphosphoglycerate / Q000097:blood; D001784:Blood Gas Analysis; D004298:Dopamine / Q000378:metabolism; D059290:Dopaminergic Neurons / Q000378:metabolism; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D009154:Mutation; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000097:blood*; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism; D013378:Substantia Nigra / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D006454:Hemoglobins; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D019794:2,3-Diphosphoglycerate; D004298:Dopamine