alpha-synuclein and Multiple-Sclerosis

Topics: alpha-Synuclein; Brain; Humans; Multiple Sclerosis; Multiple System Atrophy

There is still an open debate whether multiple sclerosis (MS) lesions can cause parkinsonian symptoms, or the coexistence of both diseases in the same patient is accidental. Moreover, α-synuclein (α Syn), the hallmark of Parkinson's disease (PD) seems also to play a crucial role in MS. So far, 42 cases of co-occurrence of parkinsonism and MS have been reported, but CSF α Syn measurement is lacking. To our knowledge, we report the first case with concomitant MS and PD diagnosis based on both clinico-radiological and CSF α Syn findings and review of literature.

Topics: alpha-Synuclein; Brain; Diagnosis, Differential; Female; Humans; Middle Aged; Multiple Sclerosis; Parkinson Disease; Parkinsonian Disorders; Treatment Outcome

Inflammation, a self-defensive reaction against various pathogenic stimuli, may become harmful self-damaging process. Increasing evidence has linked chronic inflammation to a number of neurodegenerative disorders including Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD), and multiple sclerosis. In the central nervous system, microglia, the resident innate immune cells play major role in the inflammatory process. Although they form the first line of defense for the neural parenchyma, uncontrolled activation of microglia may directly toxic to neurons by releasing various substances such as inflammatory cytokines (IL-1beta, TNF-alpha, IL-6), NO, PGE(2), and superoxide. Moreover, our recent study demonstrated that activated microglia phagocytose not only damaged cell debris but also neighboring intact cells. It further supports their active participation in self-perpetuating neuronal damaging cycles. In the following review, we discuss microglial responses to damaging neurons, known activators released from injured neurons and how microglia cause neuronal degeneration. In the last part, microglial activation and their role in PD are discussed in depth.

Topics: AIDS Dementia Complex; alpha-Synuclein; Alzheimer Disease; Animals; Cytokines; Encephalitis; Humans; Inflammation Mediators; Matrix Metalloproteinase 3; Melanins; Metalloproteases; Microglia; Models, Biological; Multiple Sclerosis; Parkinson Disease; Signal Transduction

This review highlights the role of oxidative stress and imbalances in metal ion homeostasis in the neurodegenerative diseases Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease and in the progressive demyelinating disease multiple sclerosis. The chemistry and biochemistry of oxidative stress-induced protein damage are first described, followed by the evidence for a pathological role of oxidative stress in these disease states. It is tempting to speculate that free radical oxygen chemistry contributes to pathogenesis in all these conditions, though it is as yet undetermined what types of oxidative changes occur early in the disease, and what types are secondary manifestations of neuronal degeneration.

Topics: Aldehydes; alpha-Synuclein; Alzheimer Disease; Animals; Cross-Linking Reagents; Encephalomyelitis, Autoimmune, Experimental; Free Radicals; Glycation End Products, Advanced; Humans; Lipid Peroxidation; Malondialdehyde; Metals; Mice; Multiple Sclerosis; Neurodegenerative Diseases; Oxidation-Reduction; Oxidative Stress; Parkinson Disease; Proteins; Rats; Reactive Oxygen Species

Although multiple sclerosis (MS) and multiple system atrophy (MSA) are both characterized by impaired oligodendrocytes (OLs), the aetiological relevance remains obscure. Given inherent stressors affecting OLs, the objective of the present study was to discuss the possible role of amyloidogenic evolvability (aEVO) in these conditions. Hypothetically, in aEVO, protofibrils of amyloidogenic proteins (APs), including β-synuclein and β-amyloid, might form in response to diverse stressors in parental brain. Subsequently, the AP protofibrils might be transmitted to offspring via germ cells in a prion-like fashion. By virtue of the stress information conferred by protofibrillar APs, the OLs in offspring's brain might be more resilient to forthcoming stressors, perhaps reducing MS risk. aEVO could be comparable to a gene for the inheritance of acquired characteristics. On the contrary, during ageing, MSA risk is increased through antagonistic pleiotropy. Consistently, the expression levels of APs are reduced in MS, but are increased in MSA compared to controls. Furthermore, β-synuclein, the non-amyloidogenic homologue of β-synuclein, might exert a buffering effect on aEVO, and abnormal β-synuclein could also increase MS and MSA disease activity. Collectively, a better understanding of the role of aEVO in the OL diseases might lead to novel interventions for such chronic degenerative conditions.

Topics: alpha-Synuclein; Amyloidogenic Proteins; beta-Synuclein; Brain; Humans; Multiple Sclerosis; Multiple System Atrophy

Our study aimed to evaluate whether assessing α-synuclein expression levels in blood samples could provide a reliable and straightforward alternative to existing diagnostic and prognostic methods for neurodegenerative disorders, including multiple sclerosis (MS). We specifically investigated if α-synuclein and IL-6 expression levels from serum and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) could accurately predict MS severity in patients using a two-dimensional approach.. We designed a case-control study to analyze the expression of α-synuclein and IL-6 in the peripheral blood of an MS patient group (n = 51) and a control group (n = 51). We statistically evaluated the PBMCs and serum profiles of α-synuclein and IL-6 in MS patients, along with their age of onset, disease duration, tobacco exposure, and Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) score, using SPSS V22.0 software and GraphPad Prism V9.0.. Our findings indicate that α-synuclein production was significantly downregulated in MS patients. Principal component analysis also revealed distinct profiles between MS patients and controls. PBMCs and serum profiles of α-synuclein correlated with the EDSS score, suggesting that disease severity can be predicted using α-synuclein profiles. Moreover, α-synuclein showed a significant correlation with IL-6 and age of onset. Lastly, receiver operating characteristic curves of PBMCs and serum activity of α-synuclein profiles displayed discrimination with area under the curve values of 0.856 and 0.705, respectively.. Our results imply that measuring α-synuclein levels in both serum and PBMCs could be a valuable method for diagnosing and predicting MS severity, potentially serving as a non-invasive biomarker for the disease.

Topics: alpha-Synuclein; Biomarkers; Case-Control Studies; Humans; Interleukin-6; Leukocytes, Mononuclear; Multiple Sclerosis

Topics: alpha-Synuclein; Humans; Multiple Sclerosis

The search for noninvasive biomarkers of neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration has focused on various neurological disorders, including epilepsy. We sought to determine whether α-synuclein and cytokines are correlated with the degree of neuroinflammation and/or neurodegeneration in children with epilepsy and with acquired demyelinating disorders of the central nervous system (CNS), as a prototype of autoimmune neuroinflammatory disorders.. We analyzed serum and exosome levels of α-synuclein and serum proinflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines among 115 children with epilepsy and 10 acquired demyelinating disorders of the CNS and compared to 146 controls. Patients were enrolled prospectively and blood was obtained from patients within 48 h after acute afebrile seizure attacks or relapse of neurological symptoms. Acquired demyelinating disorders of the CNS include acute disseminated encephalomyelitis, multiple sclerosis, neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders, and transverse myelitis. The controls were healthy age-matched children. The serum exosomes were extracted with ExoQuick exosome precipitation solution. Serum α-synuclein levels and serum levels of cytokines including IFN-β, IFN-γ, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-10 and TNF-α were measured using single and multiplex ELISA kits. Data were analyzed and compared with measures of disease severity, such as age at disease onset, duration of disease, and numbers of antiepileptic drug in use.. Serum α-synuclein levels were significantly increased in patients with epilepsy and acquired demyelinating disorders of the CNS compared to controls (both, p < 0.05) and showed correlation with measures of disease severity both in epilepsy (p < 0.05, r = 0.2132) and in acquired demyelinating disorders of the CNS (p < 0.05, r = 0.5892). Exosome α-synuclein showed a significant correlation with serum α-synuclein (p < 0.0001, r = 0.5915). Serum IL-1β levels were correlated only with the numbers of antiepileptic drug used in children with epilepsy (p < 0.001, r = 0.3428), suggesting drug resistant epilepsy.. This is the first study in children demonstrating that serum α-synuclein levels were significantly increased in children with epilepsy and with acquired demyelinating disorders of the CNS and correlated with measures of disease severity. Serum IL-1β levels showed significant correlation only with drug resistance in children with epilepsy. Thus, these data support that serum levels of α-synuclein and IL-1β are potential prognostic biomarkers for disease severity in children with epilepsy. CNS, central nervous system.

Topics: Adolescent; alpha-Synuclein; Biomarkers; Child; Cytokines; Encephalomyelitis, Acute Disseminated; Epilepsy; Female; Humans; Interleukin-10; Interleukin-1beta; Male; Multiple Sclerosis; Neuromyelitis Optica; Prognosis; Prospective Studies; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) α-synuclein (ASYN) levels are emerging as a possible biomarker in a number of neurodegenerative conditions; however, there has been little study of such levels in demyelinating conditions with neurodegeneration such as multiple sclerosis (MS). In this study, we aimed to assess CSF ASYN levels in MS spectrum [clinically isolated syndrome (CIS) and MS] patients and compare them to those obtained in control subjects with benign neurological conditions (BNC). We used a recently developed, ultra-sensitive sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay to measure and compare CSF ASYN levels in three categories of subjects: BNC (n = 38), CIS (n = 36) and MS [Relapsing Remitting (RRMS, n = 22) and Primary Progressive (PPMS, n = 15)]. We also performed secondary analyses, including relationship of CSF ASYN levels to aging, gender, presence of CSF oligoclonal bands (OB) and gadolinium (Gd)-enhancing demyelinating lesions on T1-weighted MRIs. CSF ASYN levels were found to be significantly lower in the CIS (78.2 ± 7.5 pg/mL), RRMS (76.8 ± 5.1 pg/mL), and PPMS (76.3 ± 6.7 pg/mL) groups compared to the BNC (125.7 ± 13.6 pg/mL) group. Secondary analyses did not reveal additional correlations. Our results suggest that in a cohort of CIS and MS patients, CSF ASYN levels are decreased, thus providing another possible link between MS and neurodegeneration. Future studies will need to be performed to confirm and extend these findings, to lead to a fuller understanding of the possible biological link between ASYN and MS. Alpha-synuclein levels in the Cerebrosinal Fluid (CSF) may reflect neurodegenerative processes. Here we measure CSF alpha-synuclein in demyelinating conditions ranging from Clinically Isolated Syndrome to Primary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis (MS). We find a similar magnitude of decreased alpha-synuclein compared to a control group in all such MS spectrum conditions; such a decrease may reflect an underlying early neurodegenerative disease process.

Topics: Adult; alpha-Synuclein; Biomarkers; Demyelinating Diseases; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an idiopathic chronic inflammatory demyelinating disease of the central nervous system with variable extent of remyelination. Remyelination originates from oligodendrocyte (OG) precursor cells, which migrate and differentiate into mature OG. Tubulin polymerization promoting protein (TPPP/p25) is located in mature OG and aggregates in oligodendroglial cytoplasmic inclusions in multiple system atrophy. We developed a novel monoclonal anti-TPPP/p25 antibody to quantify OG in different subtypes and disease stages of MS, and possible degenerative changes in OG. We evaluated autopsy material from 25 MS cases, including acute, primary progressive, secondary progressive, relapsing remitting MS, and five controls. Demyelinated lesions revealed loss of TPPP/p25-positive OG within the plaques. In remyelination, TPPP/p25 was first expressed in OG cytoplasms and later became positive in myelin sheaths. We observed increased numbers of TPPP/p25 immunoreactive OG in the normal appearing white matter (NAWM) in MS patients. In MS cases, the cytoplasmic area of TPPP/p25 immunoreactivity in the OG was higher in the periplaque area when compared with NAWM and the plaque, and TPPP/p25 immunoreactive OG cytoplasmic area inversely correlated with the disease duration. There was a lack of phospho-TDP-43, phospho-tau, α-synuclein, and ubiquitin immunoreactivity in OG with enlarged cytoplasm. Our data suggest impaired differentiation, migration, and activation capacity of OG in later disease stages of MS. Upregulation of TPPP/p25 in the periplaque white matter OG without evidence for inclusion body formation might reflect an activation state. Distinct and increased expression of TPPP/p25 in MS renders it a potential prognostic and diagnostic marker of MS.

Topics: Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; alpha-Synuclein; Animals; Biomarkers; Cell Movement; DNA-Binding Proteins; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; Female; Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein; Humans; Male; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Middle Aged; Multiple Sclerosis; Myelin Basic Protein; Myelin Proteolipid Protein; Myelin Sheath; Nerve Tissue Proteins; Oligodendroglia; Severity of Illness Index; tau Proteins

Multiple sclerosis (MS) has neurodegenerative features including neuronal and axonal loss and widespread atrophy of the brain and spinal cord. The cause of this neurodegeneration has been largely attributed to inflammation, but other mechanisms, including those associated with classic neurodegenerative diseases such as the alpha-synucleinopathies, might also be involved in MS pathogenesis. In this study, 96 brain lesions containing varying degrees of inflammatory activity from 12 autopsied MS cases were compared with corresponding regions from 6 neuropathologically normal controls; 2 cerebral biopsy lesions from an MS patient were also studied. We found alpha-synuclein immunoreactivity in the cytoplasm of cells in MS lesions with inflammatory activity but not in control samples. alpha-Synuclein-immunoreactive cells were identified in active (15/15 lesions in the brainstem, 9/13 in cerebral hemispheres) and chronic active (14/15 in the brainstem, 12/22 in cerebral hemispheres) lesions but were absent in chronic inactive lesions (0/31); the greater immunoreactivity in brainstem compared with cerebral hemisphere lesions was significant (p < 0.05). Double-immunofluorescence staining revealed localization of alpha-synuclein immunoreactivity mostly in neurons, microglia/macrophages, and oligodendrocytes, and only rarely in astrocytes. The results suggest that alpha-synuclein expression regulated by inflammatory signals may contribute to neurodegenerative processes in MS lesions.

Topics: Adult; Aged; alpha-Synuclein; Biomarkers; Brain Stem; Cerebral Infarction; Cerebrum; Encephalitis; Female; Humans; Macrophages; Male; Microglia; Middle Aged; Multiple Sclerosis; Nerve Degeneration; Neuroglia; Neurons; Oligodendroglia; Pyramidal Tracts; Wallerian Degeneration

A growing body of evidence suggests that axonal loss and neurodegeneration are responsible for the permanent neurological deficit that typically develops in the course of MS. To investigate the neurodegenerative component of MS pathogenesis, we examined the expression of alpha-synuclein, a protein whose accumulation is common to many neurodegenerative disorders, under conditions of immune-mediated inflammatory demyelination. alpha-Synuclein expression was examined in the spinal cord of myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG)-induced experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) in rats using immunofluorescence and in situ hybridization and in postmortem tissues from cases of secondary progressive MS using immunohistochemistry. alpha-Synuclein upregulation was detected in neurons and glia in and close by lesions and in normal appearing spinal cord EAE tissue at the protein and mRNA levels. alpha-Synuclein positive neurons and glia appeared early, and their number was maximal during EAE exacerbations, but some expression was maintained throughout the course of EAE. In addition, increased alpha-synuclein expression was detected in neurons and glia in and close to MS lesions. Although the increased expression of alpha-synuclein was detected as a granular cytoplasmic labeling rather than inclusion bodies, this result does suggest that neuronal cell death in immune-mediated demyelinating disease may share some common features with other neurodegenerative conditions.

Topics: alpha-Synuclein; Animals; Encephalomyelitis, Autoimmune, Experimental; Female; Humans; In Situ Hybridization; Mice; Multiple Sclerosis; Myelin Basic Protein; Myelin Proteins; Myelin-Associated Glycoprotein; Myelin-Oligodendrocyte Glycoprotein; Neuroglia; Neurons; Peripheral Nerves; Rats; Recombinant Proteins; Spinal Cord; Up-Regulation