Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0030567 (Parkinson's disease)
 63,064 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Between 1986 and 1988 a door-to-door survey was conducted on a stable rural population of 60,820 in central Ethiopia. Trained lay health workers made a complete census and identified cases with symptoms and signs of neurological disorders, using specially designed questionnaires which, in a previous pilot study, were found to have a sensitivity of 91% and specificity of 85%. Neurological disorders in the rural population were epilepsy, postpoliomyelitis paralysis, mental retardation, peripheral neuropathy (mainly due to leprosy), and deaf-mutism with prevalence rates (cases/100,000 population) of 520, 240, 170, 150 and 130, respectively. The prevalence rates of the other less common neurological disorders were 62 for hemiparesis (15 of which were for cerebrovascular accidents), 20 for cerebral palsy, 16 for optic atrophy, 12 for perceptive deafness, 10 for tropical spastic paraparesis, 7 for Parkinson's disease and 5 for motor neuron disease, ataxia and chorea/athetosis. Among related non-neurological conditions, blindness, locomotor disability and deafness were predominant. The significance and role of such a neuroepidemiological study in laying the strategies for the prevention of neurological disorders and rehabilitation of patients are discussed in the context of a developing country.
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PMID:Community-based study of neurological disorders in rural central Ethiopia. 208 51

In a group of 4684 ex-Far-East prisoners of war released in 1945, 679 had neurological disease; optic atrophy and peripheral neuropathy were the most common illnesses. However, in 89 patients neurological disease developed many years after their release; 35 of these patients had cord lesions unlike those seen in multiple sclerosis and other recognised diseases. In addition, Parkinson's disease often developed many years after release with a prevalence much higher than that in the normal population. The experiences that these patients had while in the Far East may have made them liable to develop cord disease and Parkinson's disease many years later.
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PMID:Neurological disease in ex-Far-East prisoners of war. 610 3

Rapid progress has been made in the identification of mitochondrial DNA mutations which are typically associated with diseases of the nervous system and muscle. The well established mitochondrial disorders are maternally inherited and males and females are equally affected. An exception is Leber's hereditary optic atrophy (LHON) which is observed much more frequently in males than in females. There are three common point mutations in LHON which can be homoplasmic or heteroplasmic. In mitochondrial encephalomyopathy with lactic acidosis and stroke-like episodes (MELAS) most mutations are single base changes and lie within the tRNA-Leu gene. Point mutations in myoclonic epilepsy with ragged red fibres (MERRF) usually occur within the tRNA-Lys gene but mutations of the tRNA-Leu gene are also observed. MELAS and MERRF mutations are heteroplasmic and there is considerable clinical overlap between these diseases. Point mutations within the ATPase6 gene result in either neuropathy, ataxia and retinitis pigmentosa (NARP) or in Leigh's syndrome. The latter occurs if the mutation is present in the majority of mitochondria (extreme heteroplasmy). Finally, mitochondrial DNA deletions are the cause underlying Kearns-Sayre syndrome (KSS). Apart from the well-established mitochondrial diseases, there is increasing evidence that mitochondrial mutations may also play a role in the neurodegenerative disorders Parkinson, Alzheimer and Huntington disease. The complex I defect found in Parkinson disease is especially interesting in this respect. However, no causative mitochondrial mutation has as yet been established in any of these three common disorders.
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PMID:Recent developments in the molecular genetics of mitochondrial disorders. 951 82

Virtually all cells in humans depend on mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation to generate energy, accounting for the remarkable diversity of clinical disorders associated with mitochondrial DNA mutations. However, certain tissues are particularly susceptible to mitochondrial dysfunction, resulting in recognizable clinical syndromes. Mitochondrial DNA mutations have been linked to seizures, strokes, optic atrophy, neuropathy, myopathy, cardiomyopathy, sensorineural hearing loss, diabetes mellitus, and other clinical features. Mitochondrial DNA mutations also may play an important role in aging, as well as in common age-related neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson's disease. Therefore, it is becoming increasingly important for clinicians to recognize the clinical syndromes suggestive of a mitochondrial disorder, and to understand the unique features of mitochondrial genetics that complicate diagnosis and genetic counseling.
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PMID:Mitochondrial disorders: clinical and genetic features. 1007 67

We studied a 27-year-old woman who died after a 6-year history of progressive dementia, dystonia, ataxia, apraxia, spasticity, choreoathetosis, visual and auditory hallucinations, and optic atrophy. Magnetic resonance imaging showed decreased intensity in the globus pallidus, substantia nigra, and dentate nuclei in T2-weighted images, supporting the clinical diagnosis of neurodegeneration with brain iron accumulation type 1 (NBIA-1; formerly known as Hallervorden-Spatz syndrome). At autopsy the brain showed mild frontotemporal atrophy and discoloration of the globus pallidus and the substantia nigra pars reticularis. Histologically, features typical of NBIA-1 were found including widespread axonal spheroids and large deposits of iron pigment in the discolored regions. Additionally, excessive numbers of Lewy bodies (LBs) were found throughout all examined brain stem and cortical regions. LBs of both types, as well as Lewy neurites in this case of NBIA-1, were strongly labeled by antibodies against alpha-synuclein. These findings give further evidence that accumulation of alpha-synuclein is generally associated with LB formation, i.e., in Parkinson's disease, dementia with Lewy bodies and NBIA-1. The case presented here is particularly notable for its high number of LBs in all areas of the cerebral cortex.
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PMID:Alpha-synuclein accumulation in a case of neurodegeneration with brain iron accumulation type 1 (NBIA-1, formerly Hallervorden-Spatz syndrome) with widespread cortical and brainstem-type Lewy bodies. 1104 80

In the past decade, the genetic causes underlying familial forms of many neurodegenerative disorders, such as Huntington's disease, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Friedreich ataxia, hereditary spastic paraplegia, dominant optic atrophy, Charcot-Marie-Tooth type 2A, neuropathy ataxia and retinitis pigmentosa, and Leber's hereditary optic atrophy have been elucidated. However, the common pathogenic mechanisms of neuronal death are still largely unknown. Recently, mitochondrial dysfunction has emerged as a potential 'lowest common denominator' linking these disorders. In this review, we discuss the body of evidence supporting the role of mitochondria in the pathogenesis of hereditary neurodegenerative diseases. We summarize the principal features of genetic diseases caused by abnormalities of mitochondrial proteins encoded by the mitochondrial or the nuclear genomes. We then address genetic diseases where mutant proteins are localized in multiple cell compartments, including mitochondria and where mitochondrial defects are likely to be directly caused by the mutant proteins. Finally, we describe examples of neurodegenerative disorders where mitochondrial dysfunction may be 'secondary' and probably concomitant with degenerative events in other cell organelles, but may still play an important role in the neuronal decay. Understanding the contribution of mitochondrial dysfunction to neurodegeneration and its pathophysiological basis will significantly impact our ability to develop more effective therapies for neurodegenerative diseases.
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PMID:The role of mitochondria in inherited neurodegenerative diseases. 1680 75

Most familial cases of autosomal dominant low frequency sensorineural hearing loss (LFSNHL) are attributable to mutations in the wolframin syndrome 1 (WFS1) gene at the DFNA6/14/38 locus. WFS1 mutations at this locus were first described in 2001 in six families segregating LFSNHL that was non-progressive below 2,000 Hz; the causative mutations all clustered in the C-terminal domain of the wolframin protein. Mutations in WFS1 also cause Wolfram syndrome (WS), an autosomal recessive neurodegenerative disorder defined by diabetes mellitus, optic atrophy and often deafness, while numerous single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in WFS1 have been associated with increased risk for diabetes mellitus, psychiatric illnesses and Parkinson disease. This study was conducted in an American family segregating autosomal dominant LFSNHL. Two hearing impaired family members also had autoimmune diseases-Graves disease (GD) and Crohn disease (CD). Based on the low frequency audioprofile, mutation screening of WFS1 was completed and a novel missense mutation (c.2576G --> A) that results in an arginine-to-glutamine substitution (p.R859Q) was identified in the C-terminal domain of the wolframin protein where most LFSNHL-causing mutations cluster. The family member with GD also carried polymorphisms in WFS1 that have been associated with other autoimmune diseases.
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PMID:Autoimmune disease in a DFNA6/14/38 family carrying a novel missense mutation in WFS1. 1868 68

Mutations in PTEN-induced kinase 1 (pink1) or parkin cause autosomal-recessive and some sporadic forms of Parkinson's disease. pink1 acts upstream of parkin in a common genetic pathway to regulate mitochondrial integrity in Drosophila. Mitochondrial morphology is maintained by a dynamic balance between the opposing actions of mitochondrial fusion, controlled by Mitofusin (mfn) and Optic atrophy 1 (opa1), and mitochondrial fission, controlled by drp1. Here, we explore interactions between pink1/parkin and the mitochondrial fusion/fission machinery. Muscle-specific knockdown of the fly homologue of Mfn (Marf) or opa1, or overexpression of drp1, results in significant mitochondrial fragmentation. Mfn-knockdown flies also display altered cristae morphology. Interestingly, knockdown of Mfn or opa1 or overexpression of drp1, rescues the phenotypes of muscle degeneration, cell death, and mitochondrial abnormalities in pink1 or parkin mutants. In the male germline, we also observe genetic interactions between pink1 and the testes-specific mfn homologue fuzzy onion, and between pink1 and drp1. Our data suggest that the pink1/parkin pathway promotes mitochondrial fission and/or inhibits fusion by negatively regulating mfn and opa1 function, and/or positively regulating drp1. However, pink1 and parkin mutant flies show distinct mitochondrial phenotypes from drp1 mutant flies, and flies carrying a heterozygous mutation in drp1 enhance the pink1-null phenotype, resulting in lethality. These results suggest that pink1 and parkin are likely not core components of the drp1-mediated mitochondrial fission machinery. Modification of fusion and fission may represent a novel therapeutic strategy for Parkinson's disease.
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PMID:The Parkinson's disease genes pink1 and parkin promote mitochondrial fission and/or inhibit fusion in Drosophila. 1879 31

Mitochondrial dysfunction is a common characteristic of all neurodegenerative diseases. However, the cause of this dysfunction remains a mystery. Here, we discuss the potential role of mitochondrial fission and fusion in the onset and progression of neurodegenerative diseases. Specifically, we propose that an imbalance in mitochondrial fission and fusion may underlie both familial and sporadic neurodegenerative disorders. There is substantial evidence that links disruption of the mitochondrial fission and fusion equilibrium, resulting in abnormally long or short mitochondria, to neurodegeneration. First, hereditary mutations in the mitochondrial fusion GTPases optic atrophy-1 and mitofusin-2 cause neuropathies in humans. In addition, recent findings report increased mitochondrial fission in Parkinson's disease (PD) models and induction of mitochondrial fission by two proteins, PTEN-induced kinase 1 and parkin, which are mutant in familial forms of PD. Furthermore, mutant huntingtin, the disease-causing protein in Huntington's disease, alters mitochondrial morphology and dynamics. Rotenone, a pesticide and inducer of PD symptoms, and amyloid-beta peptide, which is causally linked to Alzheimer's disease, initiate mitochondrial fission. Finally, mitochondrial fission is an early event in ischemic stroke and diabetic neuropathies. In sum, a growing body of research suggests that a better understanding of mitochondrial fission and fusion and the regulatory factors involved may lead to improved treatments and cures for neurodegenerative diseases.
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PMID:Impairing the mitochondrial fission and fusion balance: a new mechanism of neurodegeneration. 1907 50

Mitochondria are key organelles in eukaryotic cells that not only generate adenosine triphosphate but also perform such critical functions as hosting essential biosynthetic pathways, calcium buffering, and apoptotic signaling. In vivo, mitochondria form dynamic networks that undergo frequent morphologic changes through fission and fusion. In neurons, the imbalance of mitochondrial fission/fusion can influence neuronal physiology, such as synaptic transmission and plasticity, and affect neuronal survival. Core components of the mitochondrial fission/fusion machinery have been identified through genetic studies in model organisms. Mutations in some of these genes in humans have been linked to rare neuro-degenerative diseases such as Charcot-Marie-Tooth subtype 2A and autosomal dominant optic atrophy. Recent studies also have implicated aberrant mitochondrial fission/fusion in the pathogenesis of more common neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's disease. These studies establish mitochondrial dynamics as a new paradigm for neurodegenerative disease research. Compounds that modulate mitochondrial fission/fusion could have therapeutic value in disease intervention.
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PMID:Mitochondrial dynamics and neurodegeneration. 1934 10


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