DJ-1 isoforms in whole blood as potential biomarkers of Parkinson disease

Sci Rep. 2012:2:954. doi: 10.1038/srep00954. Epub 2012 Dec 11.

Abstract

DJ-1 is a multifunctional protein that plays an important role in oxidative stress, cell death, and synucleinopathies, including Parkinson disease. Previous studies have demonstrated that total DJ-1 levels decrease in the cerebrospinal fluid, but do not change significantly in human plasma from patients with Parkinson disease when compared with controls. In this study, we measured total DJ-1 and its isoforms in whole blood of patients with Parkinson disease at various stages, Alzheimer disease, and healthy controls to identify potential peripheral biomarkers of PD. In an initial discovery study of 119 subjects, 7 DJ-1 isoforms were reliably detected, and blood levels of those with 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal modifications were discovered to be altered in late-stage Parkinson disease. This result was further confirmed in a validation study of another 114 participants, suggesting that, unlike total DJ-1 levels, post-translationally modified isoforms of DJ-1 from whole blood are candidate biomarkers of late-stage Parkinson disease.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Alzheimer Disease / blood*
  • Alzheimer Disease / diagnosis
  • Biomarkers / blood
  • Blotting, Western
  • Electrophoresis, Gel, Two-Dimensional
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / blood*
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Oncogene Proteins / blood*
  • Parkinson Disease / blood*
  • Parkinson Disease / diagnosis
  • Protein Deglycase DJ-1
  • Protein Isoforms / blood*
  • Protein Processing, Post-Translational

Substances

  • Biomarkers
  • Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins
  • Oncogene Proteins
  • Protein Isoforms
  • PARK7 protein, human
  • Protein Deglycase DJ-1