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Alteration in neurotrophic factors support and antioxidant defenses in the central nervous system (CNS) along with deficit of ferritin have been associated with idiopathic Parkinson's disease (PD). The objectives were to analyze in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of patients with PD and controls the following: (i) the levels of the neuroprotectant factors glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor, persephin, neurturin, and brain-derived neurotrophic factor, (ii) the levels of transforming growth factor-β1 (TGFβ1) and transforming growth factor-β2 (TGFβ2), proinflammatory factors, (iii) the activity of the antioxidant enzymes glutathione peroxidase (GPx), glutathione reductase (GR), glutathione- S-transferase (GST), catalase, superoxide dismutases (SODs), and peroxiredoxins (PRDxs), and (iv) ferritin levels. The study revealed that, among neurotrophic factors, only TGFβ1 levels were found to be enhanced in patients with PD (early, p < 0.05; advanced, p < 0.02). Regarding antioxidant enzymes, the activity of GPx, catalase, and PRDxs, all hydrogen peroxide scavengers, was found to be significantly reduced in patients (GPx, p < 0.001; catalase, p < 0.01; PRDxs, p < 0.01, one-way analysis of variance). Finally, ferritin content in CSF was significantly diminished over time in patients (early, p < 0.01, −49%; advanced, p < 0.001, −80.7%). Our observations lead to the hypothesis that parkinsonian patients suffer from a serious disturbance of redox state in the CNS, as evaluated through the CSF, characterized by reduced hydrogen peroxide scavenging and iron storage. Antioxid. Redox Signal. 23, 893-898. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The research group has detected nitrosative stress and a singular version of nitrosylated serum α-synuclein in serum of Parkinson's disease (PD) patients. Dysfunction of the thyroid gland has been proposed to be linked to this disease. The aim of the study was to know if the thyroid gland is involved in idiopathic PD and nitrosative stress. We studied 50 patients (early and advanced disease patients), 35 controls, and 6 subjects with thyroidectomy. Clinical characteristics, serum thyroperoxidase levels, and 3-nitrotyrosine proteins were analyzed. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and immunoblotting methods were employed. The findings indicated that the prevalence of two thyroid dysfunctions (hyper- or hypothyroidism) was not found to be different in patients relative to controls. However, the levels of the enzyme thyroperoxidase were found to be elevated in early disease patients ( p<0.006), not in advanced disease subjects, and these levels were negatively correlated with serum 3-nitrotyrosine proteins ( p<0.05), the indicators of nitrosative stress. The thyroidectomized subjects showed very low levels of serum 3-nitrotyrosine proteins (78% reduction vs. controls) and, among these proteins, the nitrosylated serum α-synuclein was nearly absent. These observations lead to the hypothesis that the thyroid gland and thyroperoxidase participate in nitrosylation of serum proteins and they could influence Parkinsonian nitrosative stress as well as nitrosylation of serum α-synuclein, a potentially pathogenic factor. Antioxid. Redox Signal. 21, 2143-2148. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nitrosative stress, where nitrosylation of tyrosine (Tyr) leading to 3-nitrotyrosine proteins or free 3-nitrotyrosine is the most prominent change, has been proposed as a pathogenic mechanism in Parkinson's disease (PD). Levels of 3-nitrotyrosine proteins in serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of patients with PD have not been studied. Nitrosative stress-induced protein changes in serum and CSF were analyzed in patients with PD ( n=54) and controls ( n=40). Herein, we demonstrate the presence of nitrosative stress in serum and CSF of patients with early PD leading to selective increase of 3-nitrotyrosine proteins other than nitroalbumin, without free 3-nitrotyrosine (Hoehn-Yahr stage 1, p<0.05; stage 2, p<0.01). Among 3-nitrotyrosine proteins, nitro-α-synuclein (N-αSyn) was detected in serum, not CSF, and the sites of Tyr nitrosylation were observed to be modified in patients with early PD. Thus, the intensity of nitrosylation of Tyr125/136 residues is enhanced (stage 1, p<0.05; stage 2, p<0.01), and that of the Tyr39 site is reduced (stage 1, p<0.05), and the ratio between both parameters (α-synuclein with nitrosylated tyrosines 125 and 136 [N-αSyn-Tyr125/136]:α-synuclein with nitrosylated tyrosine 39 [N-αSyn-Tyr39] ratio) is significantly higher in patients with early PD ( p<0.01). These observations lead to the hypothesis that evaluating nitrosative stress through enhanced levels of 3-nitrotyrosine proteins in serum and CSF without changes in nitroalbumin, together with the profile of tyrosine nitrosylation of serum αSyn characterized by dominant nitrosylation of Tyr125/136, could serve for the diagnosis of sporadic PD. Antioxid. Redox Signal. 00, 000-000. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]