A Longitudinal Skin Biopsy Study of Phosphorylated Alpha-Synuclein in a Patient With Parkinson Disease and Orthostatic Hypotension
Rossella Infante, Cesa Scaglione, Alex Incensi, Giovanni Rizzo, Rocco Liguori, Vincenzo Donadio
Abstract
The aim of our study was to assess the distribution of phosphorylated α-synuclein (p-syn) deposits in a patient affected by early stage Parkinson disease and orthostatic hypotension through a longitudinal skin biopsy study. We found widespread p-syn spatial diffusion from deep autonomic dermis nerve bundles to autonomic terminals, suggesting a centrifugal spread of p-syn from ganglia to the innervation target structures. Furthermore, the case suggests the possibility of discriminating synucleinopathies at an early stage of disease by means of skin biopsy. If confirmed, these data support skin biopsy as a useful and promising tool for the diagnosis, longitudinal evaluation, and pathological understanding of Parkinson disease.