Stefano Zoccolella, Paolo Lamberti, Giovanni Iliceto, Claudia Dell'Aquila, Cosimo Diroma, Angela Fraddosio, Simona V. Lamberti, Elio Armenise, Giovanni Defazio, Michele de Mari, Paolo Livrea
Elevated plasma homocysteine levels in L-dopa-treated Parkinson's disease patients with dyskinesias
Background: Elevated plasma homocysteine (Hcy) concentrations are associated with increased risk of systemic vascular diseases, Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia. Several cross-sectional reports and two prospective clinical studies have recently reported elevated plasma Hcy levels in L-dopa-treated Parkinson's disease (PD) patients and Hcy has been proposed as a possible mediator for the development of long-term L-dopa motor complications (such as wearing off and on-off phenomena, and dyskinesias). The aim of the study was to elucidate a possible role of L-dopa-related hyperhomocysteinemia in the development of dyskinesias.
Methods: In this cross-sectional study we compared Hcy, B12 and folate levels in 53 PD patients treated with L-dopa (29 with dyskinesias, 24 without dyskinesias).
Results: Mean plasma Hcy levels were higher in the group of PD patients with dyskinesias (19 vs. 15.4 T: 2.12; p=0.04). After taking into account potential confounding factors, analysis of the data revealed that the occurrence of dyskinesias progressively increased with plasma Hcy levels (relative risk 1.2, 95% CI 1.015–1.4; p=0.03).
Conclusions: Our results raise the possibility that Hcy plays a role in the development of dyskinesias, through its toxic effects on both dopaminergic neurons and non-substantia nigra, non-dopaminergic neurons.
Clin Chem Lab Med 2006;44:863–6.
Clinical Chemical Laboratory Medicine, Walter de Gruyter
Print ISSN: 1434-6621
Volume: 44, 07/2006
Pages: 863 - 866
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