Abstract
Background: Chromogranin A (CgA) and other peptides from the chromogranin–secretogranin family have been recently studied as potential biomarkers of various neurodegenerative diseases, including Parkinson’s disease (PD). Methods: We measured CgA in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of 119 PD patients, 18 multiple system atrophy (MSA) patients, and 31 age-matched controls. We also correlated the values with disease duration and levodopa dose equivalent. Results: In the PD patients, CSF CgA tended to be lower than the control group (median 124.5 vs. 185.2 µg/L; p = 0.057); however, the results did not reach statistical significance. CSF CgA levels in MSA were significantly lower compared to the control group (median 104.4 vs. 185.2; p = 0.014). There was no significant difference in CSF CgA between PD and MSA patients (p = 0.372). There was no association between CSF CgA and disease duration or levodopa dose equivalent in PD or in MSA. Conclusions: We observed a tendency toward lower CSF CgA levels in both PD and MSA compared to the control group; however, the difference reached statistical significance only in MSA. Based on these results, CgA may have potential as a biomarker in PD and MSA, but further studies on larger numbers of patients are needed to draw conclusions.
Highlights
65 Parkinson’s disease (PD) and 11 multiple system atrophy (MSA) patients were treated with levodopa and/or dopamine agonist; 54 PD and seven MSA patients were without dopaminergic treatment
In the PD group, 54 PD patients were treated for arterial hypertension; the others were without antihypertensive drugs
There was no statistically significant difference in the age of MSA patients compared to the control group (p = 0.301)
Summary
Results: In the PD patients, CSF CgA tended to be lower than the control group CSF CgA levels in MSA were significantly lower compared to the control group (median 104.4 vs 185.2; p = 0.014). Conclusions: We observed a tendency toward lower CSF CgA levels in both PD and MSA compared to the control group; the difference reached statistical significance only in MSA. Based on these results, CgA may have potential as a biomarker in PD and MSA, but further studies on larger numbers of patients are needed to draw conclusions
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