Enteric alpha-synuclein expression is increased in Crohn’s disease

Excerpt

An accumulating body of evidence has emerged in the last decade to suggest that gastrointestinal (GI) inflammation might be involved in the development of Parkinson’s disease (PD). Elevated levels of proinflammatory cytokines [3] and fecal markers of inflammation have been reported in PD patients [5]. Data from genetic studies further support the close relationship between PD and GI inflammation as PD and Crohn’s disease (CD) share common causative and susceptibility genes such as leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2) and nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-containing protein 2 (NOD2) (reviewed in [2]). Two recent large epidemiological studies, by showing an increased risk of subsequent PD in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) when compared with non-IBD subjects, tie even closer together these two disorders [4, 7]. …