Dear Editor,

Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disease after Alzheimer's disease (AD). Although treatments for PD may be beneficial in the early stages of disease, accurate diagnosis during these stages remains a challenge. An ideal diagnosis for PD should be highly specific and sensitive, as well as be able to predict disease progression. Currently, diagnosis of PD relies mainly on the evaluation of clinical features, specifically cardinal signs. However, accurate diagnosis on the basis of clinical features is partially hampered by the existence of other forms of Parkinsonism, including corticobasal degeneration (CBD), dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), multisystem atrophy (MSA) and progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP). Non-motor features, such as dementia and dysautonomia, occur frequently, especially in the advanced stages of PD. These factors complicate the differentiation of PD from CBD, DLB, MSA and PSP 1. Thus, there is currently great interest in the development of more effective procedures for the diagnosis of PD in its early stages 2. In the present study, we performed two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE)-based proteomic analysis of CSF from PD patients. Up to 14 differentially expressed proteins were identified by liquid chromatography in combination with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Our study provides a group of interesting candidate molecules for consideration as potential diagnostic markers of PD.

Log in or create a free account to read this content

Gain free access to this article, as well as selected content from this journal and more on nature.com

Access through your institution

or

Sign in or create an account
Continue with Google
Continue with ORCiD