An autoimmune attack could start more than a decade before a person receives a Parkinson’s disease diagnosis.
That’s according to a new study published in the journal Nature Communications that shows the immune system may be responsible for damage to nerve cells in the brain. This may contribute to Parkinson’s onset, according to investigator Cecilia Lindestam Arlehamn, Ph.D., from the La Jolla Institute for Immunology, California.
Early Parkinson’s symptoms, including constipation and mood changes, suggest damage to nerve cells in the brain. It’s understood that a damaged protein called alpha-synuclein builds up in the dopamine-producing brain cells of patients. This eventually leads to cell death, causing motor symptoms and cognitive decline.
“Once these cells are gone, they’re gone,” said Arlehamn. “So, if you are able to diagnose the disease as early as possible, it could make a huge difference.”
In the new study, immune responses were shown to occur early and over a long time period, disappearing around the time of diagnosis. The researchers hope that clinicians may eventually be able to detect these immune responses and diagnose Parkinson’s earlier. This could help to slow or prevent the loss of dopamine cells with immunosuppressant treatment, they concluded.
Meanwhile, in other Parkinson’s research news, an investigation has tied higher caffeine and urate levels to lower Parkinson’s disease risk. Data analyses from the Harvard Biomarkers Study shows that the odds of having the disease decreases significantly with increased caffeine consumption, the researchers report in the Journal of Parkinson’s Disease.
