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Roy N. Alcalay, M.D.
"Why do some people who carry genetic mutations associated with Parkinson’s disease (PD) never develop PD while others do?" asks Roy N. Alcalay, M.D., a postdoctoral fellow at the Center for Parkinson’s Disease and Other Movement Disorders...
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Genetic and environmental factors for hyperhomocysteinaemia and its clinical implications in Parkinson's disease.
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Neurol Neurochir Pol 2009 May-June; 43(3):272-285
Authors: Monika Bia?ecka, Piotr Robowski, Krystyna Honczarenko, Anna Roszmann, Jaros?aw S?awek
Zak(3)ad Pielęgniarstwa Neurologiczno-Psychiatrycznego, Gdański Uniwersytet Medyczny, ul. M. Sk(3)odowskiej-Curie 3a, 80-210 Gdańsk, e-mail: jaroslawek@amg.gda.pl.
Elevated homocysteine (Hcy) plasma levels are caused by genetic and environmental factors. Polymorphisms of Hcy metabolizing enzyme genes may result in its plasma increase. Experimental and clinical studies have shown the possible role of hyperhomocysteinaemia in pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease (PD), Alzheimer's disease and vascular disorders. The results of clinical studies in PD generally do not support the theoretical hypotheses, and animal studies remain controversial. A major environmental factor responsible for Hcy increase in PD seems to be levodopa therapy. Its metabolism results in Hcy increase and may be reduced with folate and vitamins B6, B12 supplementation or inhibi-tion of catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) activity. Therefore, the potential harmful role of Hcy may be diminished in PD patients with vascular comorbidities. Further studies are needed to establish the real role of Hcy for PD and other neurological disorders. The paper summarizes the current knowledge on the genetic and environmental factors responsible for Hcy increase in PD.
PMID: 19618311 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
