Enteric nervous system α-synuclein immunoreactivity in idiopathic REM sleep behavior disorder.

Sprenger FS, Stefanova N, Gelpi E, Seppi K, Navarro-Otano J, Offner F, Vilas D, Valldeoriola F, Pont-Sunyer C, Aldecoa I, Gaig C, Gines A, Cuatrecasas M, Högl B, Frauscher B, Iranzo A, Wenning GK, Vogel W, Tolosa E, Poewe W2. Neurology. 2015 Nov 17;85(20):1761-8.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the expression of α-synuclein in colonic biopsies of patients with idiopathic REM sleep behavior disorder (iRBD) and address if α-synuclein immunostaining of tissue obtained via colonic biopsies holds promise as a diagnostic biomarker for prodromal Parkinson disease (PD).
METHODS: Patients with iRBD, patients with PD, and healthy controls were prospectively recruited to undergo colonic biopsies for comparison of α-synuclein immunoreactivity patterns between the groups by using 2 different antibodies.
RESULTS: There was no difference in colonic mucosal and submucosal immunostaining between groups using the 15G7 α-synuclein antibody, which was found in almost all participants enrolled in this study. By contrast, immunostaining for serine 129-phosphorylated α-synuclein (pSyn) in submucosal nerve fibers or ganglia was found in none of 14 controls but was observed in 4 of 17 participants with iRBD and 1 out of 19 patients with PD.
CONCLUSIONS: The present findings of pSyn immunostaining of colonic biopsies in a substantial proportion of iRBD participants raise the possibility that this tissue marker may be a suitable candidate to study further as a prodromal PD marker in at-risk cohorts.

Ventana Científica. Diciembre 2015. Artículo 89
Enteric nervous system α-synuclein immunoreactivity in idiopathic REM sleep behavior disorder.