Should Skin Biopsies Be Performed in Patients Suspected of Having Parkinson’s Disease?
Joint Authors
Siepmann, Timo
Penzlin, Ana Isabel
Illigens, Ben Min-Woo
Reichmann, Heinz
Source
Issue
Vol. 2017, Issue 2017 (31 Dec. 2017), pp.1-6, 6 p.
Publisher
Hindawi Publishing Corporation
Publication Date
2017-10-30
Country of Publication
Egypt
No. of Pages
6
Main Subjects
Abstract EN
In patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD), the molecularly misfolded form of α-synuclein was recently identified in cutaneous autonomic nerve fibers which displayed increased accumulation even in early disease stages.
However, the underlying mechanisms of synucleinopathic nerve damage and its implication for brain pathology in later life remain to be elucidated.
To date, specific diagnostic tools to evaluate small fiber pathology and to discriminate neurodegenerative proteinopathies are rare.
Recently, research has indicated that deposition of α-synuclein in cutaneous nerve fibers quantified via immunohistochemistry in superficial skin biopsies might be a valid marker of PD which could facilitate early diagnosis and monitoring of disease progression.
However, lack of standardization of techniques to quantify neural α-synuclein deposition limits their utility in clinical practice.
Additional challenges include the identification of potential distinct morphological patterns of intraneural α-synuclein deposition among synucleinopathies to facilitate diagnostic discrimination and determining the degree to which structural damage relates to dysfunction of nerve fibers targeted by α-synuclein.
Answering these questions might improve our understanding of the pathophysiological role of small fiber neuropathy in Parkinson’s disease, help identify new treatment targets, and facilitate assessment of response to neuroprotective treatment.
American Psychological Association (APA)
Siepmann, Timo& Penzlin, Ana Isabel& Illigens, Ben Min-Woo& Reichmann, Heinz. 2017. Should Skin Biopsies Be Performed in Patients Suspected of Having Parkinson’s Disease?. Parkinson’s Disease،Vol. 2017, no. 2017, pp.1-6.
https://search.emarefa.net/detail/BIM-1197095
Modern Language Association (MLA)
Siepmann, Timo…[et al.]. Should Skin Biopsies Be Performed in Patients Suspected of Having Parkinson’s Disease?. Parkinson’s Disease No. 2017 (2017), pp.1-6.
https://search.emarefa.net/detail/BIM-1197095
American Medical Association (AMA)
Siepmann, Timo& Penzlin, Ana Isabel& Illigens, Ben Min-Woo& Reichmann, Heinz. Should Skin Biopsies Be Performed in Patients Suspected of Having Parkinson’s Disease?. Parkinson’s Disease. 2017. Vol. 2017, no. 2017, pp.1-6.
https://search.emarefa.net/detail/BIM-1197095
Data Type
Journal Articles
Language
English
Notes
Includes bibliographical references
Record ID
BIM-1197095