Decreased long-chain acylcarnitines from insufficient β-oxidation as potential early diagnostic markers for Parkinson's disease

Sci Rep. 2017 Aug 4;7(1):7328. doi: 10.1038/s41598-017-06767-y.

Abstract

Increasing evidence shows that metabolic abnormalities in body fluids are distinguishing features of the pathophysiology of Parkinson's disease. However, a non-invasive approach has not been established in the earliest or pre-symptomatic phases. Here, we report comprehensive double-cohort analyses of the metabolome using capillary electrophoresis/liquid chromatography mass-spectrometry. The plasma analyses identified 18 Parkinson's disease-specific metabolites and revealed decreased levels of seven long-chain acylcarnitines in two Parkinson's disease cohorts (n = 109, 145) compared with controls (n = 32, 45), respectively. Furthermore, statistically significant decreases in five long-chain acylcarnitines were detected in Hoehn and Yahr stage I. Likewise, decreased levels of acylcarnitine(16:0), a decreased ratio of acylcarnitine(16:0) to fatty acid(16:0), and an increased index of carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1 were identified in Hoehn and Yahr stage I of both cohorts, suggesting of initial β-oxidation suppression. Receiver operating characteristic curves produced using 12-14 long-chain acylcarnitines provided a large area of under the curve, high specificity and moderate sensitivity for diagnosing Parkinson's disease. Our data demonstrate that a primary decrement of mitochondrial β-oxidation and that 12-14 long-chain acylcarnitines decreases would be promising diagnostic biomarkers for Parkinson's disease.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Biomarkers
  • Carnitine / analogs & derivatives*
  • Carnitine / metabolism
  • Cohort Studies
  • Fatty Acids / metabolism
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Metabolome
  • Metabolomics / methods
  • Middle Aged
  • Mitochondria / metabolism
  • Models, Biological
  • Muscle, Skeletal / metabolism
  • Oxidation-Reduction*
  • Parkinson Disease / diagnosis*
  • Parkinson Disease / metabolism*
  • ROC Curve
  • Severity of Illness Index

Substances

  • Biomarkers
  • Fatty Acids
  • acylcarnitine
  • Carnitine