We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience. This includes personalizing content and advertising. To learn more, click here. By continuing to use our site, you accept our use of cookies. Cookie Policy.

Features Partner Sites Information LinkXpress hp
Sign In
Advertise with Us

MP BIOMEDICALS LLC

MP Biomedicals manufactures and sells a comprehensive line of in-vitro diagnostics solutions to hospitals and clinica... read more Featured Products: More products

Download Mobile App




Parkinson’s Disease Patients Have More Inflammatory Bacteria in Their Noses

By LabMedica International staff writers
Posted on 29 Dec 2021
Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a complex neurodegenerative disease characterized by nigrostriatal degeneration resulting in bradykinesia, rigidity, tremor, and gait dysfunction. More...
Non-motor symptoms are also typically present, including depression, constipation, and alteration of smell. Diminished sense of smell (hyposmia), is a common hallmark of prodromal PD.

PD gut dysbiosis is characterized by increased putative pro-inflammatory microbes, belonging to the phylum Proteobacteria, and a reduction in putative beneficial short chain fatty acids (SCFAs)-producing bacteria. Given the loss of olfaction that has been associated with pre-motor PD in 75%–95% of early cases, the nasal cavity may be a secondary site (in addition to the gut) triggering neuroinflammation in PD.

Medical Scientists at the Rush University Medical Center (Chicago, IL, USA) analyzed bacteria in the deep nasal sinus cavity of 30 people with Parkinson’s. The team noted that the deep nasal sinus cavity, far up in the nose, is close to the olfactory bulb, a brain structure involved in the sense of smell. The team also analyzed bacteria in the deep nasal sinus cavities of 11 of the patients’ spouses who did not have Parkinson’s. Spouses were chosen in order to account for environmental factors (e.g., bacteria that happen to live in a person’s house). Bacteria from 17 non-spousal healthy controls also were analyzed.

The scientists used deep nasal swabbing under nasal anterior endoscopy by a trained rhinologist. Total genomic DNA was extracted from the swabs using the FastDNA Spin Kit for Soil (MP Biomedicals, Santa Ana, CA, USA). PCR amplified and sequenced on an Illumina MiniSeq sequencer (Illumina, San Diego, CA, USA). 16S rRNA gene amplicon library preparation was performed using two parallel techniques. To provide superior resolution at the species taxonomic level, a multi-amplicon workflow was conducted employing the Swift Amplicon 16S + ITS Panel (Swift Biosciences, Madison, WI, USA).

The investigators reported that, compared to the controls, people with Parkinson’s tended to have higher amounts of certain bacteria that are likely to have pro-inflammatory effects. For example, many patients had high abundances of Moraxella catarrhalis, which is known to be an opportunistic pathogen, a bacteria that usually does not cause disease, but can under certain circumstances. The team noted that M. catarrhalis was not always linked with Parkinson’s. indeed, some patients had no detectable amounts of this type of bacteria. But microbiomes with the highest abundances of these bacteria consistently came from people with Parkinson’s. In addition to high levels of pro-inflammatory bacteria, Parkinson’s patients also tended to have lower amounts of bacteria with anti-inflammatory properties, including Blautia wexlerae, Lachnospira pectinoschiza, and Propionibacterium humerusii.

The authors concluded that their data indicated the presence of a dysbiotic and potentially pro-inflammatory deep nasal sinus cavity microbiota environment in PD subjects as compared to control subjects. Within PD subjects there was a positive correlation between putative pro-inflammatory bacteria, including M. catarrhalis, and PD clinical features. The study was published on December 8, 2021 in the journal npj Parkinson’s Disease.

Related Links:
Rush University Medical Center
MP Biomedicals
Illumina
Swift Biosciences



New
Gold Member
Cardiovascular Risk Test
Metabolic Syndrome Array I & II
Collection and Transport System
PurSafe Plus®
New
Silver Member
PCR Plates
Diamond Shell PCR Plates
New
Gold Member
Automatic Hematology Analyzer
DH-800 Series
Read the full article by registering today, it's FREE! It's Free!
Register now for FREE to LabMedica.com and get access to news and events that shape the world of Clinical Laboratory Medicine.
  • Free digital version edition of LabMedica International sent by email on regular basis
  • Free print version of LabMedica International magazine (available only outside USA and Canada).
  • Free and unlimited access to back issues of LabMedica International in digital format
  • Free LabMedica International Newsletter sent every week containing the latest news
  • Free breaking news sent via email
  • Free access to Events Calendar
  • Free access to LinkXpress new product services
  • REGISTRATION IS FREE AND EASY!
Click here to Register








Channels

Molecular Diagnostics

view channel
Image: Over 100 new epigenetic biomarkers may help predict cardiovascular disease risk (Photo courtesy of 123RF)

Routine Blood Draws Could Detect Epigenetic Biomarkers for Predicting Cardiovascular Disease Risk

Cardiovascular disease is a leading cause of death worldwide, yet predicting individual risk remains a persistent challenge. Traditional risk factors, while useful, do not fully capture biological changes... Read more

Hematology

view channel
Image: New research points to protecting blood during radiation therapy (Photo courtesy of 123RF)

Pioneering Model Measures Radiation Exposure in Blood for Precise Cancer Treatments

Scientists have long focused on protecting organs near tumors during radiotherapy, but blood — a vital, circulating tissue — has largely been excluded from dose calculations. Each blood cell passing through... Read more

Immunology

view channel
Image: The VENTANA HER2 (4B5) test is now CE-IVDR approved (Photo courtesy of Roche)

Companion Diagnostic Test Identifies HER2-Ultralow Breast Cancer and Biliary Tract Cancer Patients

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in Europe, with more than 564,000 new cases and 145,000 deaths annually. Metastatic breast cancer is rising in younger populations and remains the leading cause... Read more

Pathology

view channel
Image: An adult fibrosarcoma case report has shown the importance of early diagnosis and targeted therapy (Photo courtesy of Sultana and Sailaja/Oncoscience)

Accurate Pathological Analysis Improves Treatment Outcomes for Adult Fibrosarcoma

Adult fibrosarcoma is a rare and highly aggressive malignancy that develops in connective tissue and often affects the limbs, trunk, or head and neck region. Diagnosis is complex because tumors can mimic... Read more

Technology

view channel
Image: Conceptual design of the CORAL capsule for microbial sampling in the small intestine (H. Mohammed et al., Device (2025). DOI: 10.1016/j.device.2025.100904)

Coral-Inspired Capsule Samples Hidden Bacteria from Small Intestine

The gut microbiome has been linked to conditions ranging from immune disorders to mental health, yet conventional stool tests often fail to capture bacterial populations in the small intestine.... Read more
Copyright © 2000-2025 Globetech Media. All rights reserved.