Lymphocyte populations in Parkinson’s disease and in rat models of parkinsonism

J Neuroimmunol. 2001 Feb 1;113(1):146-52. doi: 10.1016/s0165-5728(00)00422-7.

ABSTRACT

To assess the involvement of the immune system in Parkinson’s disease we studied the phenotype of circulating lymphocytes in 30 untreated and 34 treated patients. We found a numeric decrease in helper T cells (higher in CD4(+)CD45RA(+) than in CD4(+)CD29(+)) and B cells, and a rise in activated, CD4(+)CD25(+) lymphocytes that was correlated with lymphocyte depletion. All these alterations were independent of levodopa treatment. In addition, we performed striatal dopamine depletion in rats with either MPP(+) or 6-OHDA, showing that MPP(+) but not 6-OHDA can increase CD4(+)CD25(+) lymphocytes. Thus, mechanisms other than dopamine deficit may explain the immune activation in Parkinson’s disease.

PMID:11137586 | DOI:10.1016/s0165-5728(00)00422-7