Purpose: Parkinson's Disease (PD), a neurodegenerative disorder, is associated with substantial morbidity. α-Klotho, an anti-aging protein known for its neuroprotective properties, has gained attention. This study aims to assess serum levels of α-Klotho in PD patients.
Methods: This study is a cross-sectional case-control study. PD was diagnosed according to UK Parkinson Disease Society Brain Bank criteria. Serum α-Klotho level was measured using a commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.
Results: Of the 314 participants in the study, 157 were patients with PD and 157 were controls. Lower levels of α-Klotho were observed in PD (0.85 nmol/L) in comparison to the controls (1.47 nmol/L, p < 0.001). α-Klotho levels were also significantly lower among PD patients with dementia compared to PD patients without dementia. In logistic regression analysis, α-Klotho (OR: 0.04, p < 0.001) demonstrated a significant relationship between PD. A significant correlation was identified between α-Klotho levels and Mini-Mental State Examination scores in PD patients. The sensitivity and the specifity of α-Klotho were 90% and 65% for predicting PD.
Conclusions: Our findings suggest that α-klotho could potentially serve as a biomarker. However additional studies are needed to confirm our findings.
Keywords: Dementia; Older individuals; Parkinson’s disease; α-Klotho protein.
© 2024. Fondazione Società Italiana di Neurologia.