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Gut Microbiota and Parkinson's Disease

NCT03710668 · Status: UNKNOWN · Type: OBSERVATIONAL · Enrollment: 50

Last updated 2018-10-18

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

Over the past decade, experimental data has suggested a complex and bidirectional interaction between the gastrointestinal (GI) tract and the central nervous system (CNS), the so-called "Gut- Brain axis." . Changes in the gut microbiota composition may cause alterations in the gut barrier function and intestinal permeability, affecting not only GI epithelial cells and immune system, but also the ENS including both neurons and glial cells . The bidirectional brain-gut-microbiota axis interactions modulate pro- and anti-inflammatory responses. It has been suggested that the gut microbiota changes associated with intestinal inflammation may contribute to the initiation of α-syn misfolding. There is a growing number of evidence confirming that the gut microbiota alterations precede or occur during the course of PD. Importantly, some genetic risk factors may play a crucial role in the interactions between the brain-gut-microbiota axis with respect to gut inflammation. It has been also shown that the methylation status in the SNCA promoter region may affect α-syn expression and the risk for PD. Therefore, a potential role of the gut microbiota as an epigenetic factor influencing DNA methylation may be speculated. Moreover, genetic variant of the component of innate immune system - TREM2 (Triggering Receptor Expressed on Myeloid cells) has been reported to be associated with a higher risk for PD. The ε4 allele of apolipoprotein E (ApoE) has been shown to increase the risk for dementia in synucleinopathies such as PD. Potentially, ApoE genotype, by influencing bile acid secretion, could affect the composition of the gut microbiota to favor the development of organisms triggering misfolding. Moreover, three single nucleotide polymorphisms in CARD15 gene, known to be associated with Crohn's disease, have been also shown to be over-expressed in PD patients, supporting the observation that GI inflammation contributes to the pathogenesis of PD.

Conditions

  • Parkinson Disease

Interventions

RADIATION

MRI if indicated

MRI brain if indicated

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • Alaa E Ahmed

    lead OTHER

Eligibility

Min Age
50 Years
Max Age
70 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2019-01-01
Primary Completion
2020-01-01
Completion
2021-12-31

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Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT03710668 on ClinicalTrials.gov