Radiographers constitute an important part of a multidisciplinary radiation-based imaging and therapy chain. However, is there a common framework for assuring high education, training, and subsequent practice of profession among European countries? A study was conducted, based on a questionnaire that consisted of three parts, concerning education and training (Part A), national registry (Part B), and professional issues (Part C). Analysis of the collected data suggested that a common policy is generally followed in the countries investigated; however, differences were not negligible. A common framework of educational programmes among European countries could form the basis for overall standardisation at national and international level.
Background: Blood uric acid level represents an emerging biomarker in Parkinson's disease (PD). Whether uric acid levels change in genetic forms of PD is just beginning to be explored.
Objective:The aim of the present study was to assess differences in serum uric acid level among PD patients harboring the p.A53T mutation in the alpha-synuclein gene, idiopathic PD, and healthy controls. Methods: Longitudinal 5-year serum uric acid measurement data of 369 de novo idiopathic PD patients and 174 age-and gender-matched healthy controls have been downloaded from the Parkinson's Progression Markers Initiative (PPMI) database. Furthermore, we assessed baseline serum uric acid measurements of 24 p.A53T alpha-synuclein PD patients enrolled in PPMI and followed in our site as compared to 24 age-, gender-and disease duration-matched sporadic PD patients and 24 healthy controls. Results: Longitudinal serum uric acid measurements did not differ statistically between idiopathic PD patients and healthy controls (despite a trend for lower uric acid in the PD group) (p = 0.879). This was also true when male and female subgroups were assessed separately. The p.A53T SNCA mutation carrier PD group exhibited lower baseline serum uric acid level as compared to their matched healthy controls (p = 0.025).
Blood uric acid represents an important biomarker in sporadic Parkinson's disease (PD). Whether uric acid levels change in genetic forms of PD is beginning to be assessed. The aim of the present study was to evaluate differences in serum uric acid level among PD patients harboring mutations in the glucocerebrosidase (GBA1) gene, sporadic PD, and healthy controls followed longitudinally. Methods: Longitudinal 2-year serum uric acid measurement data of 120 GBA-PD patients have been downloaded from the Parkinson's Progression Markers Initiative (PPMI) database. This cohort was compared with 369 de novo sporadic PD patients and 195 healthy controls enrolled in the same study. Results: Following adjustment for age, sex and BMI the GBA-PD cohort exhibited lower 2-year longitudinal uric acid level as compared to the controls (p = 0.016). Baseline uric acid measurements showed only a marginal difference (p = 0.119), but year 2 uric acid levels were lower in the GBA-PD cohort (p < 0.001). There was no difference in baseline, year 2 and 2-year longitudinal serum uric acid in the GBA-PD cohort as compared to sporadic PD (p = 0.664, p = 0.117 and p = 0.315). Conclusions: This is the first study to assess serum uric acid in a GBA-PD cohort. Our findings suggest that low serum uric acid might be a progression biomarker in GBA-PD. However, more studies (ideally longitudinal) on the association between low serum uric acid and clinical data in GBA-PD are needed. These results are consistent with data from previous reports assessing uric acid as a biomarker in other genetic forms of PD.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.