The ‘harmless’ virus found stalking in the brains of Parkinson’s patients, shows a new study
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A virus for a long time that is believed to be harmless can actually play a role in Parkinson’s disease, a condition that affects more than one million Americans.
Northwest Medicine scientists discovered human pegivirus (HPGV) in the brain and spinal fluid of people with Parkinson’s, but not in those without the disease. The results challenge decades of assumptions about the virus.
“HPGV is a common infection and without symptoms that it is not known that the brain frequently infects,” Dr. Igor Koralnik, head of neuroinfectious diseases in Northwestern said in a press release.
“We were surprised to find it in the brains of Parkinson’s patients with such high frequency and not in controls.”
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The researchers examined the post -mortem brain tissue of 10 Parkinson’s patients and 14 people who died for other causes. (Istock)
The findings were published in JCI Insight magazine.
The researchers examined the post -mortem brain tissue of 10 Parkinson’s patients and 14 people who died for other causes. The virus appeared in five of Parkinson’s 10 brains and none of the 14 controls.
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It also appeared in spinal fluid samples, suggesting that the virus could be active in the nervous system. Patients who transport HPGV showed more advanced brain changes linked to Parkinson, including the accumulation of proteins and altered brain chemistry.
The equipment did not stop in the brain tissue. Using blood samples of more than 1,000 participants in a project led by the Michael J. News Foundation, the researchers saw the same changes in the immune system linked to the virus.
The researchers also examined blood samples of 1,000 people with Parkinson, in an effort to track the virus. (Istock)
Even more surprising: patients with a mutation related to Parkinson’s in the LRRK2 gene responded differently to HPGV than those without mutation.
“This suggests that it could be an environmental factor that interacts with the body in a way that we did not realize before,” Koralnik said.
“It can influence how Parkinson develops, especially in people with certain genetic history.”
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Parkinson’s disease is the second most common brain disorder after Alzheimer’s, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and stroke. Although a small percentage of cases are inherited, most patients have no family history, and the cause has remained unknown.
“It is too early to say that the virus causes the disease,” says Dr. Joel Salinas, a behavioral neurologist. (Istock)
If HPGV really plays a role, it could help explain why some people develop Parkinson, while others do not. It could also open the door to new treatments aimed at viruses or the immune system.
“The study detected HPGV traces more frequently in brains of people with Parkinson’s disease than in the controls. This raises the possibility of a link between the viral exposure and that of Parkinson’s exposure, but it is very early to say that the virus causes the disease,” said Dr. Joel Salinas, a behavioral neurologist and associated professor in Nyu Grossman School of Medicine of Medicine of Medicine, said News Digital.
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Salinas, who did not participate in the study, also said that much larger studies will be needed and long term to determine if this association has real clinical importance.
“For now, people should know that this is an early investigation and it is not a reason to worry: there is still no overwhelming evidence that this virus causes Parkinson’s, similar to how work in the Herpesvirus in Alzheimer’s has suggested a possible link but remains completely established.”
The Northwestern team plans to expand its study to see how often HPGV is found in people with Parkinson. (Istock)
According to the Parkinson Foundation, almost 90,000 Americans are diagnosed every year. This number is expected to reach 1.2 million by 2030.
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The Northwestern team plans to expand its study to see how often HPGV is found in people with versus healthy Parkinson controls, and if other viruses can be involved.
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“For a virus that was thought to be harmless, these findings suggest that it can have important effects on the context of Parkinson’s disease,” Koralnik said.
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“Our goal is also to understand how viruses and genes interact; ideas that could reveal how Parkinson begins and could help guide future therapies.”
Khloe Quill is a lifestyle production assistant with News Digital. She and the lifestyle team cover a variety of stories issues that include food and drink, travel and health.