Levels of serum IL6, TNF-α and sLAG3 are changed and correlated with clinical characteristics in Parkinson’s disease patients: A case-control study

Objective: An increasing body of studies have proved that inflammation plays a crucial role in Parkinson’s disease (PD) pathogenesis. IL-6, TNF-α and sLAG3 are associated with immune disorder. This study aimed to examine the expression of serum IL-6, TNF-α and sLAG3 in PD patients from China. Methods: Forty six PD patients and 42 age and gender-matched healthy controls (HC) were recruited. clinical data, disease assessment scale and serum IL-6, TNF-α and sLAG3 were assessed in PD patients. The levels of inflammatory factors were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Results: The levels of serum IL-6 and TNF-α were significantly higher in PD patients compared to HC. Serum IL-6 and TNF-α were independent risk factors for PD. The levels of serum sLAG3 and TNF-α were higher in female patients than those of male patients. Significant positive correlation was found between serum TNF-α and H-Y, UPDRS III and HAMA in PD patients. Serum sLAG3 positively correlated with HAMA. Conclusion: Changes in serum inflammatory factors were observed in PD patients, which were correlated with the clinical characteristics. The study supports the previous hypothesis that inflammation is involved in the pathogenesis of PD.