Bile Acid Dysregulation in Parkinson's Disease: Longitudinal Changes and Altered Metabolic Interactions.
Bile Acid Dysregulation in Parkinson's Disease: Longitudinal Changes and Altered Metabolic Interactions.
Where did the research take place?
The study site has not been established. Author addresses may differ from where the research occurred.
Martin, SK · Author affiliation
Department of Medical Biochemistry, Jessenius Faculty of Medicine in Martin, Comenius University, 036 01 Bratislava, Slovakia.Location evidence
Bratislava, SK · Author affiliation
Department of Medical Biochemistry, Jessenius Faculty of Medicine in Martin, Comenius University, 036 01 Bratislava, Slovakia.Location evidence
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Original abstract
Bile acids (BA) are increasingly recognized as signaling molecules involved in metabolic regulation and inflammatory processes, both of which are relevant to Parkinson's disease (PD). However, their role in PD and disease progression remains unclear. In this study, plasma BA profiles were analyzed in 113 participants, including early- and advanced-stage PD patients and age- and sex-matched controls, across three time points over three years. Targeted metabolomics using LC-MS was applied to quantify 20 BA, complemented by analyses of functional ratios, including unconjugated/conjugated and hydrophobic/hydrophilic BA ratios and correlation patterns between BA species. Although most individual BA did not show consistent longitudinal changes, pooled analysis identified significant differences in the unconjugated/conjugated BA ratio between PD patients and controls. In contrast, the hydrophobic/hydrophilic ratio did not differ significantly between groups. Correlation analysis revealed differences in selected BA interrelationships, particularly involving primary and secondary BA, while the overall network structure remained largely preserved. These results indicate that BA metabolism in PD might be characterized rather by subtle, distributed alterations than pronounced changes in individual metabolites. BA profiling may therefore contribute to a broader metabolic characterization of PD, but its utility as a standalone biomarker appears limited.