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Relation between the high production related allele of the interferon-γ (IFN-γ) gene and age at onset of idiopathic Parkinson's disease in Japan
  1. I MIZUTA,
  2. M NISHIMURA,
  3. E MIZUTA,
  4. S YAMASAKI,
  5. M OHTA,
  6. S KUNO
  1. Clinical Research Center, Utano National Hospital, Narutaki, Ukyo-ku, Kyoto 616–8255, Japan
  2. Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Hospital of the University of Tokushima, Tokushima 770–8503, Japan
  3. Department of Clinical Chemistry, Kobe Pharmaceutical University, Kobe 658–8558, Japan
  1. Dr S Kuno yakuri{at}alles.or.jp
  1. M NISHIMURA
  1. Clinical Research Center, Utano National Hospital, Narutaki, Ukyo-ku, Kyoto 616–8255, Japan
  2. Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Hospital of the University of Tokushima, Tokushima 770–8503, Japan
  3. Department of Clinical Chemistry, Kobe Pharmaceutical University, Kobe 658–8558, Japan
  1. Dr S Kuno yakuri{at}alles.or.jp
  1. M OHTA
  1. Clinical Research Center, Utano National Hospital, Narutaki, Ukyo-ku, Kyoto 616–8255, Japan
  2. Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Hospital of the University of Tokushima, Tokushima 770–8503, Japan
  3. Department of Clinical Chemistry, Kobe Pharmaceutical University, Kobe 658–8558, Japan
  1. Dr S Kuno yakuri{at}alles.or.jp

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Although the pathogenesis of progressive degeneration of nigrostriatal dopaminergic neurons in Parkinson's disease remains uncertain, cytokines are thought to contribute to the development of the disease.1 Interferon (IFN)-γ is one of the Th1 cell derived multifunctional cytokines and seems to influence neuronal differentiation and to increase in inflammatory and neurodegenerative diseases.2 Immunohistochemical studies showed an increase of IFN-γ expression in nigral astrocytes of patients with Parkinson's disease.3 This increase of IFN-γ concentration may be a trigger for the disease or a compensatory response. It was reported that IFN-γ producing capacity in whole blood cultures of untreated parkinsonian patients decreased compared with sex and age matched healthy controls.4 This supports the idea that IFN-γ may increase in Parkinson's disease as a compensatory response. …

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