The purpose of this study is to measure alpha-synuclein in peripheral body tissues and fluids in Parkinson's disease (PD). This may help in developing better treatments for PD patients in the future.
This is a multi-center, cross-sectional, observational study to evaluate α-syn pathology in multiple tissues and biofluids in individual subjects with PD and HC at a single time point.
Study Type
OBSERVATIONAL
Enrollment
80
Biofluid samplings (blood, saliva, and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)
Tissue samplings (skin, colon, submandibular gland)
University of Alabama at Birmingham
Birmingham, Alabama, United States
Mayo Clinic Arizona
Scottsdale, Arizona, United States
Institute for Neurodegenerative Disorders
New Haven, Connecticut, United States
Oregon Health & Science University
Portland, Oregon, United States
α-syn levels in blood
Blood will be analyzed using the most optimal, currently available, quantitative assays. The outcome will be expressed as a concentration of α-syn levels.
Time frame: 24 months
α-syn levels in saliva
Saliva will be analyzed using the most optimal, currently available, quantitative assays. The outcome will be expressed as a concentration of α-syn levels.
Time frame: 24 months
α-syn levels in CSF
CSF will be analyzed using the most optimal, currently available, quantitative assays. The outcome will be expressed as a concentration of α-syn levels.
Time frame: 24 months
α-syn deposits in skin
α-syn burden in skin biopsies will be expressed as 1) simply positive or negative, i.e. whether any two slides are positive out of all examined 2) by total percentage of slides examined that are positive 3) by site of highest density of positive α-syn fibers.
Time frame: 24 months
α-syn deposits in submandibular gland
α-syn burden in the submandibular tissue will be expressed as 1) simply positive or negative, i.e. whether any two slides are positive out of all examined 2) by total percentage of slides examined that are positive 3) by site of highest density of positive α-syn fibers.
Time frame: 24 months
α-syn deposits in colon
α-syn burden in the colon tissue will be expressed as 1) simply positive or negative, i.e. whether any two slides are positive out of all examined 2) by total percentage of slides examined that are positive 3) by site of highest density of positive α-syn fibers.
Time frame: 24 months
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University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Toronto Western Hospital Movement Disorders Centre
Toronto, Ontario, Canada