[ad_1]
The links between Parkinson's disease and the gastrointestinal tract are known. But now, a group of scientists made a finding on the link with the appendix that adds new tracks do research on the origin of this disorder.
According to a study published today in the journal Science Translational Medicine, the risk of contracting Parkinson's disease in adulthood was reduced from 19% to 25% among people whose appendix had been withdrawn from young people.
"Our results indicate that the appendix is an original site for Parkinson's disease and offers a way to conceive new treatment strategies to take advantage of the role of the gastrointestinal tract in the development of the disease, "said Viviane Labrie, senior author of the Van Andel Research Institute of Michigan (USA).
Because? A glance at the fabric of an eradicated appendix shows that this tiny organ, often considered useless, seems to be a deposit of an abnormal protein (alpha-synuclein abnormally folded) that if it reaches the brain, it becomes a central element of Parkinson's disease.
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 the surgeon.
"We are not saying that he is going and is undergoing an appendectomy," said the neuroscientist and geneticist who was leading the team of researchers who analyzed data from two large-scale epidemiological studies, one of which 1.6 million people and the other 91 million. .
After all, many people without organs eventually develop Parkinson 's disease and others who have protein never get sick, the article says.
The risk reduction became apparent only when the appendix and alpha – synuclein that it contained were eliminated at an early stage of life, years before the onset of life. onset of the disease, suggesting that the body could participate in its onset. Its elimination after the beginning of the pathological process, however, had no effect on its progression.
In the general population, people who had an appendectomy were 19% less likely to develop Parkinson's disease, which was amplified in people living in rural areas, with a 25% reduction in the risk of developing 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 that accounts for less than 10% of cases.
The efforts of the scientific community are focused on understanding the origin of this disorder so that it can be treated quickly, as patients now go to the office when motor symptoms appear, such as tremors or a stiffness, sign that the disease is already advanced. .
A scanned link
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 of the tract They are common in people who begin to experience tremors and other movement problems leading to the diagnosis of the disease.
The recent study will encourage new research to try to find new clues as to why and who is really at risk.
"It's a piece of the puzzle, a fundamental clue"Dr. Allison Willis, a Parkinson's disease specialist at the University of Pennsylvania, who did not participate in the new studies, added that her patients regularly asked her questions about gastrointestinal connections.
The Parkinson's Disease Foundation's Chief Scientist, James Beck, who was not part of the studies, also said that "There are many promising relationships".
He noted that despite its reputation, the appendix plays a role in immunity that could affect inflammations. The type of bacteria that lives in the appendix could also affect Parkinson's disease.
(Source: AP / LAURAN NEERGAARD-EFE)
Source link
