Is there a role of insulin degrading enzyme in Parkinson’s disease?

Abstract

Objectives: Alpha-synucleins are the basic structural components of Lewy bodies, which are the pathognomonic feature of Parkinson’s disease (PD). It is propounded that alpha-synucleins interact with the insulin-degrading enzyme (IDE). In this study, it was aimed to evaluate the relationship between the insulin-degrading enzyme (IDE) level and the disease and the symptomatology of the disease in patients with PD. Methods: A total of 98 individuals, including 57 patients with PD and 41 healthy controls, were enrolled in this cross-sectional, case-control study. The clinical characteristics of the patients with PD, modified Hoehn and Yahr (mHY) stages, and Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) scores were recorded. The mini-mental state examination (MMSE) was applied to all participants. Serum samples were collected for the level of IDE. Results: No significant difference was found in terms of IDE between PD patients and the control group with similar sociodemographic characteristics (p>0.05). No statistically significant difference was revealed between the level of IDE and the age of onset of disease, initial symptom, disease subtype, mHY stage, LED dose, MMSE score, UPDRS part II, III and IV. In PD patients, a weak negative correlation was found between IDE, duration of disease, and UPDRS part I (p=0.049, r=-0.299 and p=0.003, r=-0.431, respectively). Conclusion: No significant difference was determined in the level of IDE between PD patients and the controls. There was no relationship between IDE level and onset symptom, disease subtype, disease stage. It was suggested that the serum level of IDE was related to a longer duration of disease and the affected mentation, behavior and mood. The confirmation of these results with larger patient series will contribute to clarifying the role of IDE in the pathogenesis of PD.