Abstract:
Network-based meta-analysis of four independent microarray studies identified the hepatocyte nuclear factor (HNF4A), a transcription factor associated with gluconeogenesis and diabetes, as a central regulatory hub gene upregulated in blood of PD patients. In parallel, the polypyrimidine tract binding protein 1 (PTBP1), involved in the stabilization and mRNA translation of insulin, was identified as the most downregulated gene. Using both markers, PD patients were classified with 90% sensitivity and 80% specificity. Longitudinal performance analysis demonstrated that relative abundance of HNF4A and PTBP1 mRNAs significantly decreased and increased, respectively, in PD patients during 3 years follow up period. The inverse regulation of HNF4A and PTBP1 provides a molecular rationale for the altered insulin signaling observed in PD patients. The longitudinally dynamic biomarkers identified in this study may be useful for monitoring disease-modifying therapies for PD.
Abstract:
Increasing evidence indicates that Parkinson's disease (PD) and type 2 diabetes (T2DM) share dysregulated molecular networks. 84 genes shared between PD and T2DM were identified from curated disease-gene databases. Nitric oxide biosynthesis, lipid and carbohydrate metabolism, insulin secretion and inflammation were identified as common dysregulated pathways. A network prioritization approach was implemented to rank genes according to their distance to seed genes and their involvement in common biological pathways. This disclosure reinforces the idea that shared molecular networks between PD and T2DM provide an additional source of biologically meaningful biomarkers.