Earliest detection of alpha-synuclein lesions for differential diagnosis

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25670427
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Neurology
• Research Institution: Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science
• Principal Investigator: FUMIMURA Yuichi 公益財団法人東京都医学総合研究所, 認知症・高次脳機能研究分野, 研究員 (30647243)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: αシヌクレイン / パーキンソン病 / レヴィ小体型認知症 / MIBG心筋シンチグラフィー

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We first demonstrated phosphorylated α-synuclein (pαsyn) aggregation in cardiac sympathetic nerves in the subendocardial area in the early stages of Lewy body disease (LBD) by using immunostained free-floating sections. Accumulation of pαsyn aggregates preceded the disappearance of tyrosine hydroxylase imunnoreactive axons. In LBD, pαsyn aggregation and distal-dominant degeneration of the cardiac sympathetic nervous system may represent the common pathological mechanism. We demonstrated a tight quantitative correlation between postmortem examination of remaining axons and premortem MIBG uptake in an autopsy series of patients with or without LBD. Sympathetic nervous system has distinguishable orientations. Therefore, the analyses of cardiac sympathetic nerve fibers have possibilities to reveal the earliest changes and pathological mechanism underlying a common degenerative process in LBD.

Free Research Field

臨床神経学