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People whose appendix had been removed from youth had between 19% and According to a study published today in the journal Science Translational Medicine, the risk of contracting Parkinson's disease at the 39, adulthood is reduced by 25%.
"Our results indicate that the appendix is a site of Parkinson's disease origin and provide a means of designing novel treatment strategies that take advantage of the role of the gastrointestinal tract in development. of the disease, "said Viviane Labrie, lead author. Van Andel Research Institute in Michigan (United States).
Why? A look at the tissues of a suppressed appendix shows that this tiny organ, often considered unnecessary, appears to be a reservoir of abnormal protein (abnormally folded alpha-synuclein) that, if it reaches the brain, becomes a central element of the disease. Parkinson.
The big surprise, according to the results of the work, is that many people might have concentrations of this worrying protein in their appendages: young and old, people with healthy brain and Parkinson's disease.
But do not rush to go to the surgeon.
"We are not saying go to have an appendectomy," said the neuroscientist and geneticist who led the team of researchers who badyzed data from two large-scale epidemiological studies, one of 1 , 6 millions of people and another 91 million
After all, many organ-free people eventually develop Parkinson's disease and others who never have the protein they get sick, says l & # 39; section.
The risk reduction became apparent only when the appendix and alpha-synuclein that it contained were removed at an early stage of life, years before the Appearance of the disease, suggesting that the organ could participate in its beginnings. Its elimination after the beginning of the disease process, however, had no effect on its progression.
In the general population, people who had an appendectomy had a 19% lower risk of developing Parkinson's disease, which was amplified among rural residents, with a 25% reduction in the risk of suffering from the disease. In contrast, the interventions had no apparent benefit in individuals whose disease was related to genetic mutations transmitted by their families, a group representing less than 10% of cases.
understand the origin of this disorder in order to be able to treat it quickly, since currently patients come to the office in the event of motor symptoms, such as tremors or rigidity, a sign that the disease is already advanced.
A Link Explored
Doctors and patients have known for some time that there is a link between the gastrointestinal tract and Parkinson's disease. Constipation and other problems in the trunk are common in people who are beginning to experience tremors and other movement problems that lead to the diagnosis of the disease.
The recent study will conduct new research to try to find new clues to determine by what and who are really at risk.
"It's a piece of the puzzle, a fundamental clue," said Dr. Allison Willis, a Parkinson's disease specialist at the University of Pennsylvania, who did not participate in the new studies, but says that his patients regularly questioned about gastrointestinal connections.
The Parkinson's Foundation's Scientific Officer, James Beck, who was not part of the studies, also stated that "there are many promising connections"
. The appendix has a role in immunity that could influence inflammations. The type of bacteria that lives in the appendix could also affect Parkinson's disease.
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