The appendix is implicated in Parkinson ’s disease

Clumps of alpha-synuclein (red) in the appendix of a healthy individual suggests the possibilitythat the gut plays a role in the pathogenesis of Parkinson diseaseThe appendix may contribute to a person ’s chances of developing Parkinson’s disease. An analysis of data from nearly 1.7 million Swedes found that those who’d had their appendix removed had a lower overall risk of Parkinson’s disease. Also, samples of appendix tissue from healthy individuals revealed protein clumps similar to those found in the brains of Parkinson ’s patients, researchers report online October 31 in Science Translational Medicine.Together, the findings suggest that the appendix may play a role in the early events of Parkinson ’s disease, Viviane Labrie, a neuroscientist at the Van Andel Research Institute in Grand Rapids, Mich., said at a news conference on October 30.Symptoms related to Parkinson ’s can show up in the gut earlier than they do in the brain. So Labrie and her colleagues turned their attention to the appendix. Often considered a “useless organ,” Labrie said, “the appendix is actually an immune tissue that’s responsible for sampling and monitoring pathogens.”In the new study, Labrie ’s team analyzed health records from a national registry of Swedish people, some of whom were followed for as many as 52 years. That long observation time was key: People have their appendix removed most often in their teens or 20s but, on average, don...
Source: neuropathology blog - Category: Radiology Tags: parkinson disease Source Type: blogs