Serum Cholesterol and Nigrostriatal R2* Values in Parkinson's Disease

摘要: BACKGROUND The occurrence of Parkinson's disease (PD) is known to be associated both with increased nigrostriatal iron content and low serum cholesterol PD, but there has been no study determine a potential relationship between these two factors. METHODS High-resolution MRI (T1-, T2, multiple echo T2*-weighted imaging) fasting lipid levels were obtained from 40 patients PD 29 healthy controls. Iron was estimated mean R2* values (R2* = 1/T2*) calculated for each structure including substantia nigra, caudate, putamen, globus pallidus. This correlated after controlling age, gender, statin use. RESULTS In higher lower in the nigra (R -0.43, p 0.011 total-cholesterol, R -0.31, 0.080 low-density lipoprotein) pallidus -0.38, 0.028 -0.27, 0.127 lipoprotein), only trend toward significant association total-cholesterol striatum -0.34, 0.052 caudate; -0.32, 0.061 putamen). After adjusting clinical measures, cholesterol-iron relationships held or became even stronger pallidus, weaker caudate putamen. There CONCLUSIONS data show that concentration patients. Further studies should investigate whether this mechanistic epiphenomenological relationship.