Frontiers in Neuroscience (Jan 2019)

Serum Amyloid Alpha Is Downregulated in Peripheral Tissues of Parkinson’s Disease Patients

  • Lille Kurvits,
  • Lille Kurvits,
  • Ene Reimann,
  • Liis Kadastik-Eerme,
  • Laura Truu,
  • Külli Kingo,
  • Külli Kingo,
  • Triin Erm,
  • Sulev Kõks,
  • Sulev Kõks,
  • Pille Taba,
  • Anu Planken

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/fnins.2019.00013
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 13

Abstract

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We report the changed levels of serum amyloid alpha, an immunologically active protein, in Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients’ peripheral tissues. We have previously shown that Saa-1 and -2 (serum amyloid alpha-1,-2, genes) were among the top downregulated genes in PD patients’ skin, using whole-genome RNA sequencing. In the current study, we characterized the gene and protein expression profiles of skin and blood samples from patients with confirmed PD diagnosis and age/sex matched controls. qRT-PCR analysis of PD skin demonstrated downregulation of Saa-1 and -2 genes in PD patients. However, the lowered amount of protein could not be visualized using immunohistochemistry, due to low quantity of SAA (Serum Amyloid Alpha, protein) in skin. Saa-1 and -2 expression levels in whole blood were below detection threshold based on RNA sequencing, however significantly lowered protein levels of SAA1/2 in PD patients’ serum were shown with ELISA, implying that SAA is secreted into the blood. These results show that SAA is differentially expressed in the peripheral tissues of PD patients.

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