Immune reactivity towards insulin, its amyloid and protein S100B in blood sera of Parkinson's disease patients

Eur J Neurol. 2007 Mar;14(3):327-34. doi: 10.1111/j.1468-1331.2006.01667.x.

Abstract

Peripheral immune responses can be sensitive indicators of disease pathology. We evaluated the autoimmune reactions to endocrine (insulin) and astrocytical (S100B) biomarkers in the blood sera of 26 Parkinson's disease (PD) patients compared with controls by using ELISA. We found a statistically significant increase of the autoimmune responses to both antigens in PD patients compared with controls with a mean increase of 70% and 50% in the autoimmune reactions towards insulin and S100B, respectively. Heterogeneity of the immune responses observed in patients may reflect the modulating effect of multiple variables associated with neurodegeneration and also changes in the basic mechanisms of individual autoimmune reactivity. We did not detect any pronounced immune reactions towards insulin amyloid fibrils and oligomers in PD patients, indicating that an amyloid-specific conformational epitope is not involved in immune recognition of this amyloid type, while sequential epitope of native insulin is hidden within the amyloid structures. Immune reactions towards S100B and insulin may reflect the neurodegenerative brain damaging processes and impaired insulin homeostasis occurring in PD.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Amyloid / immunology*
  • Astrocytes / immunology
  • Astrocytes / metabolism
  • Autoantibodies / blood*
  • Autoantibodies / immunology
  • Autoimmune Diseases of the Nervous System / blood*
  • Autoimmune Diseases of the Nervous System / immunology
  • Autoimmune Diseases of the Nervous System / physiopathology
  • Biomarkers / blood
  • Female
  • Gliosis / immunology
  • Gliosis / metabolism
  • Humans
  • Insulin / immunology*
  • Insulin / metabolism
  • Insulin Secretion
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Nerve Degeneration / blood
  • Nerve Degeneration / immunology
  • Nerve Degeneration / physiopathology
  • Nerve Growth Factors / immunology*
  • Pancreas / immunology
  • Pancreas / metabolism
  • Parkinson Disease / blood*
  • Parkinson Disease / immunology
  • Parkinson Disease / physiopathology
  • S100 Calcium Binding Protein beta Subunit
  • S100 Proteins / immunology*

Substances

  • Amyloid
  • Autoantibodies
  • Biomarkers
  • Insulin
  • Nerve Growth Factors
  • S100 Calcium Binding Protein beta Subunit
  • S100 Proteins
  • S100B protein, human