Plasma hsa-mir-19b is a potential LevoDopa therapy marker.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder among the elderly, the diagnostic and prognostic of which is based mostly on clinical signs. LevoDopa replacement is the gold standard therapy for PD, as it ameliorates the motor symptoms. However, it does not affect the progression of the disease and its long-term use triggers severe complications. There are no bona fide biomarkers for monitoring the patients' response to LevoDopa and predicting the efficacy of levodopa treatment. Here, we have combined qPCR microRNA array screening with analysis of validated miRs in naïve versus Levodopa-treated PD patients. We have identified plasma miR-19b as a possible biomarker for LevoDopa therapy and validated this result in human differentiated dopaminergic neurons exposed to LevoDopa. In silico analysis suggests that the LevoDopa-induced miR-19b regulates ubiquitin-mediated proteolysis.

The impact of acute kidney injury on in-hospital mortality in acute ischemic stroke patients undergoing intravenous thrombolysis.

INTRODUCTION: Acute kidney injury (AKI) increases the risk of death in acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients. Intravenous thrombolytic therapy (iv. rt-PA) seems to be the most effective treatment for AIS patients. The effects of AKI on iv. rt-PA treated AIS cases is less studied. Our paper addresses this issue. METHODS: 45 consecutive stroke patients treated with iv. rt-PA (median age = 64 years; 29 male) and 59 age and sex matched controls not eligible for iv. rt-PA have been enrolled in our study. Subjects were followed-up until hospital release or death (median follow up time = 12 days). RESULTS: The prevalence of AKI did not differ between iv. rt-PA treated patients and controls (35.5% vs. 33.89%). In both groups, AKI was associated with increased in-hospital mortality: 50.0% vs. 3.4% p<0.0001 (in the rt-PA treated), and 45% vs. 30.7% (in controls). AKI iv. rt-PA treated patients had a significantly higher risk of in hospital mortality as compared to the no-AKI iv. rt-PA treated (HR = 15.2 (95%CI [1.87 to 124.24]; P = 0.011). In a Cox-multivariate model, the presence of AKI after iv. rt-PA remained a significant factor (HR = 8.354; p = 0.041) influencing the in-hospital mortality even after correction for other confounding factors. The independent predictors for AKI were: decreased eGFR baseline and elevated serum levels of uric acid at admission, (the model explained 60.2% of the AKI development). CONCLUSIONS: The risk of AKI was increased in AIS patients. Thrombolysis itself did not increase the risk of AKI. In the iv. rt-PA patients, as compared to non-AKI, those which developed AKI had a higher rate of in-hospital mortality. The baseline eGFR and the serum uric acid at admission were independent predictors for AKI development in the iv. rt-PA treated AIS patients.

Impulse control disorders in advanced Parkinson's disease with dyskinesia: The ALTHEA study.

BACKGROUND: Impulse control disorders and dyskinesia are common and disabling complications of dopaminergic treatment in Parkinson's disease. They may coexist and are possibly related. The objectives of this study were to assess the frequency and severity of impulse control disorders in Parkinson's disease patients with dyskinesia. METHODS: The ALTHEA study enrolled 251 Parkinson's disease patients with various degrees of dyskinesia severity from 11 movement disorders centers in Italy. Each patient underwent a comprehensive assessment including Unified Dyskinesia Rating Scale and the Questionnaire for Impulsive Compulsive Disorders in Parkinson Disease-Rating Scale. RESULTS: There was an overall 55% frequency of impulse control disorder and related behaviors (36% were clinically significant). The positive patients were younger at disease diagnosis and onset and had higher Unified Dyskinesia Rating Scale historical and total score (P = 0.001 and P = 0.02, respectively, vs negative). There was an increased frequency of clinically significant impulse control disorders in patients with severe dyskinesia (P = 0.013), a positive correlation between the questionnaire total score and dopamine agonist dose (P = 0.018), and a trend with levodopa dose. CONCLUSIONS: More than half of Parkinson's disease patients with dyskinesia have impulse control disorders and related behaviors, which are frequently clinically significant. Dopaminergic therapy total dose is associated with their severity. Clinicians should carefully assess patients with maladaptive behaviors and dyskinesia because they do not properly evaluate their motor and nonmotor status. © 2017 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.

Therapy-resistant symptoms in Parkinson's disease.

In recent years, the management of Parkinson's disease (PD) has come a long way, leading to an increase in therapeutic options that now include oral and transdermal drug delivery, infusion as well as surgical treatments. Nonetheless, in the evolution of this complex neurodegenerative disorder, several symptoms remain refractory to dopaminergic therapy. It is our aim to review the literature to date and to bring them into focus, as well as emphasizing on pathophysiological mechanisms, profile of risk factors in their development, and therapeutic options. We will focus on freezing of gait, camptocormia, dysphagia and dysphonia, as well as cognitive impairment and dementia because they represent the far end of therapy-resistant symptoms, encompassing poor health-related quality of life and often a more reserved prognosis with either a rapid evolution of the disease, and/or merely a more severe clinical picture. Pathophysiological mechanisms and brain neurotransmitter abnormalities behind these symptoms seem to overlap to some extent, and a better understanding of these correlations is desirable. We believe that further research is paramount to expand our knowledge of the dopamine-resistant symptoms and, consequently, to develop specific therapeutic strategies.

The efficacy of oral adenosine A(2A) antagonist istradefylline for the treatment of moderate to severe Parkinson's disease.

The moderate and severe stages of Parkinson's disease (PD) are marked by motor and non-motor complications that still remain difficult to control with the currently available therapy. Adenosine A(2A) receptor antagonists target non-dopaminergic systems, and have emerged as promising add-on therapy in the management of PD, a little more than a decade ago. While the development of this new drug class was slower than initially expected, istradefylline was recently registered in Japan, because it provides reduction of the off-time, when given in association with levodopa. Effects on some non-motor features have also been suggested, and preliminary studies further suggest a potential neuroprotective effect. Associations of A(2A) receptor antagonists with dopaminergic agents, as well as enzyme blockers like catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) and monoamine oxidase-B (MAO-B) inhibitors, should provide even greater benefit in advanced PD patients, and, thus, a more individualized treatment approach would be at hand.