Peripheral Markers for Oxidative Stress
in Parkinsonframe0s Disease Patients of Eastern India1

J. Sanyala, B. Sarkara, T. K. Banerjeeb, S. C. Mukherjeec, B. C. Rayd, and V. R. Raoa,2

aAnthropological Survey of India, Kolkata, India

bDepartment of Neurology, National Neurosciences Center, Kolkata, India

cDepartment of Neurology, Calcutta Medical College and Hospital, Kolkata, India

dDepartment of Chemistry, Jadavpur University, Kolkata, India

Received November 18, 2010

Abstract—Oxidative stress is thought to play a major role in the pathogenesis of Parkinson’s disease (PD).
Neurons are highly susceptible to a defective antioxidant scavenging system, thus inducing oxidative changes
in human red blood cells (RBCs), in vivo and in vitro. Previous studies on oxidative stress in RBCs in patients
with PD have yielded controversial results claiming unaltered activity to reduced activity. We have thus under-
taken this study to investigate the possibility of oxidative damage to the RBCs in PD by measuring the cytosolic
antioxidant enzymes viz., catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and glutathione peroxidase (G-Px).
The biochemical parameters were measured in erythrocytes of 80 PD patients and 80 normal age-matched
healthy controls. The enzymes activities were correlated with age of patients, age of onset of disease, duration
of disease, United Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) and Hoehn and Yahr stage. Patients with PD had
higher red blood corpuscle (RBC) activity of SOD. The CAT, and G-Px activities were significantly lower in
patients with PD compared to the controls. Erythrocyte SOD, CAT and G-Px were markedly lower in those PD
patients who were suffering for a greater duration of the disease and in advanced cases of PD. A significant (P
< 0.05) negative correlation of enzyme activities with disease duration, UPDRS score and Hoehn and Yahr stage
of the disease was found. Results of our present study concludes the implication of oxidative stress as one of
the risk factors, which can initiate or promote neurodegeneration in PD by playing a role in dopaminergic neu-
ronal loss and was correlated to the severity of the disease.

Keywords: antioxidant enzymes, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, oxidative stress, Par-
kinson’s disease

DOI: 10.1134/S1819712411020073

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