Evidence map›Paper›PMID 26102022›Full record

ArticleNeurobiology of disease2015

Low levels of astroglial markers in Parkinson's disease: relationship to α-synuclein accumulation.

Junchao Tong, Lee-Cyn Ang, Belinda Williams, Yoshiaki Furukawa, Paul Fitzmaurice, Mark Guttman, Isabelle Boileau, Oleh Hornykiewicz, Stephen J Kish

Open access · greenAbstract readComparative Study
In one paragraph

Article in Neurobiology of disease, 2015. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 70 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
70citing papers in PubMed
6.4field-weighted citation impact, top 3% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

70 citing papers in PubMed, 109 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Review
  2. Article
  3. Review
  4. Review
  5. Review
  6. Article
  7. Review
  8. Article
  9. Article
  10. Article
  11. Article
  12. Article
  13. Human Endogenous Retrovirus K in Astrocytes Is Altered in Parkinson's Disease.Movement disorders : official journal of the Movement Disorder Society · 2025
    Article
  14. Article
  15. Article
  16. Review
  17. Article
  18. Article
  19. Brain-Biomarker Changes in Body Fluids of Patients with Parkinson's Disease.International journal of molecular sciences · 2023
    Review
  20. Article

10 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors at 5 institutions in 3 countries.

Junchao TongHuman Brain Laboratory, Research Imaging Centre, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Addiction Imaging Research Group, Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Research Imaging Centre, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Electronic address: junchao.tong@camh.ca.
Lee-Cyn AngDivision of Neuropathology, London Health Science Centre, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada.
Belinda WilliamsAddiction Imaging Research Group, Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Research Imaging Centre, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Yoshiaki FurukawaDepartment of Neurology, Juntendo Tokyo Koto Geriatric Medical Center, and Faculty of Medicine, University & Post Graduate University of Juntendo, Tokyo, Japan.
Paul FitzmauriceThe Drug Detection Agency, Auckland, New Zealand.
Mark GuttmanCentre for Movement Disorders, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Isabelle BoileauAddiction Imaging Research Group, Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Research Imaging Centre, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Oleh HornykiewiczCenter for Brain Research, Medical University of Vienna, Spitalgasse 4, A-1090 Vienna, Austria.
Stephen J KishHuman Brain Laboratory, Research Imaging Centre, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Centre for Addiction and Mental Health · CACentre for Movement Disorders · CAJuntendo University · JPLondon Health Sciences Centre · CAMedical University of Vienna · AT

Funding

PET IMAGING STUDY OF BRAIN VMAT2 IN HUMAN METHAMPHETAMINE USERSR01DA025096 · NIDA · CENTRE FOR ADDICTION AND MENTAL HEALTH · PI KISH, STEPHEN JOHN · 2010 to 2013
$856k
IS CHRONIC COCAINE ABUSE TOXIC TO THE HUMAN BRAIN?R01DA007182 · NIDA · UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO · PI KISH, STEPHEN JOHN · 1991 to 2000
$181k
NIDA NIH HHS DA07182NIDA NIH HHS R01 DA007182NIDA NIH HHS R01 DA025096
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Although gliosis is a normal response to brain injury, reports on the extent of astrogliosis in the degenerating substantia nigra in Parkinson's disease (PD) are conflicting. It has also been recently suggested that accumulation of nigral α-synuclein in this disorder might suppress astrocyte activation which in turn could exacerbate the degenerative process. This study examined brain protein levels (intact protein, fragments, and aggregates, if any) of astroglial markers and their relationship to α-synuclein in PD and in the positive control parkinson-plus conditions multiple system atrophy (MSA) and progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP). Autopsied brain homogenates of patients with PD (n=10), MSA (n=11), PSP (n=11) and matched controls (n=10) were examined for the astroglial markers glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), vimentin, and heat shock protein-27 (Hsp27) by quantitative immunoblotting. As expected, both MSA (putamen>substantia nigra>caudate>frontal cortex) and PSP (substantia nigra>caudate>putamen, frontal cortex) showed widespread but regionally specific pattern of increased immunoreactivity of the markers, in particular for the partially proteolyzed fragments (all three) and aggregates (GFAP). In contrast, immunoreactivity of the three markers was largely normal in PD in brain regions examined with the exception of trends for variably increased levels of cleaved vimentin in substantia nigra and frontal cortex. In patients with PD, GFAP levels in the substantia nigra correlated inversely with α-synuclein accumulation whereas the opposite was true for MSA. Our biochemical findings of generally normal protein levels of astroglial markers in substantia nigra of PD, and negative correlation with α-synuclein concentration, are consistent with some recent neuropathology reports of mild astroglial response and with the speculation that astrogliosis might be suppressed in this disorder by excessive α-synuclein accumulation. Should astrogliosis protect, to some extent, the degenerating substantia nigra from damage, therapeutics aimed at normalization of astrocyte reaction in PD could be helpful.

Indexed as

AgedAstrocytesBiomarkersBlotting, WesternCaudate NucleusElectrophoresis, Polyacrylamide GelFrontal LobeGlial Fibrillary Acidic ProteinHeat-Shock ProteinsHSP27 Heat-Shock ProteinsHumansMolecular ChaperonesMultiple System AtrophyParkinson DiseasePutamenSupranuclear Palsy, ProgressiveBiomarkersGlial Fibrillary Acidic ProteinHeat-Shock ProteinsHSP27 Heat-Shock ProteinsHSPB1 protein, humanMolecular ChaperonesVimentinAstrogliosisGlial fibrillary acidic proteinHeat shock protein-27Multiple system atrophyParkinson’s diseaseProgressive supranuclear palsyQuantitative Western blotSubstantia nigraVimentinα-synuclein

Identifiers

PMID26102022
PMCPMC4641013
OpenAlexW768574866

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceTDM
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.