Abstract
Parkinson's disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease. To date, the causal genes and variants associated with sporadic PD are largely unknown. Accumulating evidence demonstrates that autophagy delivers alpha-syncuclein proteins to lysosome for degradation and dysfunctional autophagy is involved in the PD pathogenesis. We have previously screened a group of lysosomal hydrolases and found that alpha-galactosidase A (GLA) activity is significantly decreased in the peripheral leukocytes of sporadic PD patients. In this study, GLA transcript and protein levels were semi-quantitatively examined. The GLA transcript (P = 0.020) and protein (P = 0.027) levels in the peripheral leukocytes of sporadic PD patients were significantly decreased, compared to age- and sex-matched healthy controls. Furthermore, decreased GLA gene expression levels were strongly associated with sporadic PD (OR 3.33, 95%CI 1.17-9.52, P = 0.024). Therefore, our data suggest that insufficient GLA activity may contribute to the pathogenesis of sporadic PD. The underlying molecular mechanisms remain to be determined.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
