Diagnosing Parkinson's disease with skin samples could lead to earlier detection

Date:
October 21, 2020
Source:
Iowa State University
Summary:
New research shows a simple skin test can accurately identify
Parkinson's disease, which could lead to earlier detection of the
disease and better outcomes for patients. Currently, Parkinson's
disease is diagnosed by clinical signs and symptoms but only
definitively diagnosed at autopsy.

The researchers conducted a blinded study of 50 skin samples using
an assay originally designed to detect mad cow disease.



FULL STORY ==========================================================================
New research shows a simple skin test can accurately identify Parkinson's disease, demonstrating for the first time the feasibility of the method.

Currently diagnosed by clinical signs and symptoms but only definitively diagnosed at autopsy, Parkinson's disease is commonly misdiagnosed
early in the disease course, complicating clinical trials of potential treatments.


==========================================================================
The study, published in the scientific journal Movement Disorders, shows
how a chemical assay can detect clumping of the protein alpha-synuclein
in skin samples to help diagnose Parkinson's disease (PD). The study's
authors said using the assay can lead to earlier detection of PD and
better clinical trials.

"Since there's no easy and reliable test available for the early
diagnosis of Parkinson's disease at present, we think there will be a
lot interest in the potential use of skin samples for diagnosis," said Anumantha Kanthasamy, Distinguished Professor of Biomedical Sciences at
Iowa State and lead author of the study.

The researchers conducted a blinded study of 50 skin samples provided by
the Arizona Study of Aging and Neurodegenerative Disorders (AZSAND)/Brain
and Body Donation Program based at Banner Sun Health Research
Institute. Half of the skin samples came from patients with Parkinson's
disease and half came from people without neurologic disease. Using the
protein assay correctly diagnosed 24/25 Parkinson's disease patients
and only 1/25 controls had the protein clumping. Dr. Charles Adler,
M.D., professor of neurology at Mayo Clinic Arizona, a co-investigator
of the study, notes that "these results indicate tremendously high
sensitivity and specificity which is critical for a diagnostic test."
"The clinical diagnostic accuracy for early-stage PD has been quite poor,
only around 50-70%. And since clinical trials really need to be done at
an early stage to avoid further brain damage, they have been critically hampered because they have been including large percentages of people
who may not actually have the disease," said Dr. Thomas Beach, MD, a co-investigator of the study and head of the Civin Laboratory at Banner
Sun Health Research Institute.

"Improving clinical diagnostic accuracy is, in my view, the very first
thing we need to do in order to find new useful treatments for PD."
The research centers on a method known as the real-time quaking induced conversion assay, a test that was originally developed to detect mad
cow disease. Kanthasamy's laboratory has spent several years optimizing
the assay for detecting misfolded proteins in similar human and animal disorders.

Parkinson's disease arises from misfolded alpha-synuclein proteins that accumulate in the brain leading to neuronal damage. Adler and Beach have
led research in AZSAND that has found these misfolded alpha-synuclein
proteins also collect in other body tissues as well, including the skin.

Kanthasamy said testing skin samples could lead to earlier detection of Parkinson's disease. Earlier diagnosis could allow physicians to test therapeutic strategies designed to slow or prevent the development of
advanced symptoms, he said.


========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by Iowa_State_University. Note: Content
may be edited for style and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Sireesha Manne, Naveen Kondru, Huajun Jin, Geidy E. Serrano,
Vellareddy
Anantharam, Arthi Kanthasamy, Charles H. Adler, Thomas G. Beach,
Anumantha G. Kanthasamy. Blinded RT‐QuIC Analysis of
a‐Synuclein Biomarker in Skin Tissue from Parkinson's Disease
Patients. Movement Disorders, 2020; DOI: 10.1002/mds.28242 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/10/201021112343.htm

--- up 8 weeks, 2 days, 6 hours, 50 minutes
* Origin: -=> Castle Rock BBS <=- Now Husky HPT Powered! (1337:3/111)