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Parkinson's disease (PD) is a complex, heterogeneous neurodegenerative disorder, affecting approximately 1% of the population over 60 years of age. The molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying PD pathogenesis are still unknown. Clathrin-mediated endocytosis (CME) is a procedure closely related to the intracellular trafficking of multiple molecules in the cell, including proteins, lipids, and neurotransmitters. Recently, variations in the gene encoding the phosphatidylinositol binding clathrin assembly protein (PICALM) has been associated with Alzheimer's disease (AD), suggesting a possible role of CME in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases. In this study, we examined for the first time the potential role of the PICALM rs3851179 polymorphism in PD. We studied the PICALM rs3851179 polymorphism in 191 Greek patients with sporadic PD and 118 control subjects, using a PCR-RFLP method. Our results do not provide evidence that the PICALM rs3851179 polymorphism increase susceptibility of PD, in the Greek population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was the evaluation of pupil light reflex (PLR) in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) by using a modern pupillometry system and the investigation of its potential relationship with dopamine transporter imaging (DaTSCAN), which is an objective method for the evaluation of presynaptic dopaminergic system. PLR was evaluated using pupillometry in 35 patients with PD without clinical evidence of autonomic dysfunction and 44 healthy matched controls. PLR was elicited using a fully automated pupillometry system and six parameters were measured. Dopamine transporter imaging was performed using radioactive ioflupane 123I-FP-CIT [[123I-N-ω-fluoropropyl-2β-carbomethoxy-3β-(4-iodophenyl)-nortropane]]. A significant increase in latency and a significant decrease in amplitude, maximum constriction velocity, as well as maximum acceleration were observed in PD patients. There was no significant difference in initial radius and minimum radius values. Investigating the relationship between pupillometry parameters and 123I-FP-CIT binding values, we correlated values from the semiquantitative analysis of radioligand uptake with pupillometry parameters, but we found no significant correlation. This study demonstrates PLR impairment in patients with PD without overt autonomic dysfunction. This impairment does not seem to correspond to the reduction of radioligand binding in the striatum as the result of presynaptic dopaminergic dysfunction, suggesting a different deterioration rate of these systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was the evaluation of pupil light reflex (PLR) in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) by using a modern pupillometry system and the investigation of its potential relationship with dopamine transporter imaging (DaTSCAN), which is an objective method for the evaluation of presynaptic dopaminergic system. PLR was evaluated using pupillometry in 35 patients with PD without clinical evidence of autonomic dysfunction and 44 healthy matched controls. PLR was elicited using a fully automated pupillometry system and six parameters were measured. Dopamine transporter imaging was performed using radioactive ioflupane (123)I-FP-CIT [(123)I-N-ω-fluoropropyl-2β-carbomethoxy-3β-(4-iodophenyl)-nortropane]. A significant increase in latency and a significant decrease in amplitude, maximum constriction velocity, as well as maximum acceleration were observed in PD patients. There was no significant difference in initial radius and minimum radius values. Investigating the relationship between pupillometry parameters and (123)I-FP-CIT binding values, we correlated values from the semiquantitative analysis of radioligand uptake with pupillometry parameters, but we found no significant correlation. This study demonstrates PLR impairment in patients with PD without overt autonomic dysfunction. This impairment does not seem to correspond to the reduction of radioligand binding in the striatum as the result of presynaptic dopaminergic dysfunction, suggesting a different deterioration rate of these systems.