The possible role of an autoimmune mechanism in the etiopathogenesis of Parkinson's disease

The clinical diagnosis of Parkinson's disease (PD) is established through clinical signs such as bradykinesia, rigidity, and resting tremor. Recently, immune system involvement has been implicated as a major pathogenic factor in the onset and progression of PD. We examine the presence of autoantibodies against phosphatidylserine (PS), cardiolipin (CL) and dsDNA in 45 PD patients and 38 healthy controls and provide evidence to the possible connection to oxidative stress. We report higher frequency of IgG anti-PS and anti-dsDNA in PD patients (24.4% and 15.6%), compared to controls (2.6% in both cases, p < 0.05). Moreover, the presence of these autoantibodies is not analogous with increased levels of oxidative stress in PD. A great need exists for improved understanding of the pathogenesis and identification of relevant biomarkers and future studies in clarifying the role of autoantibodies in PD are required to address its role as a potential risk factor.