Journal of Movement Disorders

Original Article

Differential Peripheral NLRP3 Inflammasome Expression in Patients With Parkinson’s Disease and Patients With Multiple System Atrophy: Jeongjae Lee, Han-Joon Kim, Huu Dat Nguyen, Suk Jun Song, Trung Nguyen Thanh, In Hee Kwak, Hye Joung Choi, Hyeo-il Ma, Young Eun Kim; J Mov Disord. 2026;19(1):31-38. Published online September 30, 2025; DOI: https://doi.org/10.14802/jmd.25124

994 View
81 Download

Abstract PDF Supplementary Material: Objective
The NOD-like receptor family pyrin domain-containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome has been proposed to be a downstream mediator of neuroinflammation in individuals with Parkinson’s disease (PD). However, its involvement across disease stages and related synucleinopathies, such as multiple system atrophy (MSA), remains unclear. We aimed to analyze the peripheral mRNA expression of NLRP3-related genes and cytokines across individuals with isolated REM sleep behavior disorder (iRBD), early-stage PD, late-stage PD, and MSA.
Methods
Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were collected from 151 participants: 35 healthy controls (HCs), 31 patients with iRBD, 41 patients with early-stage PD, 21 patients with late-stage PD, and 23 patients with MSA. mRNA expression was measured using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Statistical comparisons were performed using analysis of variance (ANOVA) or Welch’s ANOVA, and associations with clinical variables were analyzed through stepwise multiple linear regression.
Results
NLRP3 expression was significantly lower in patients with iRBD (p=0.0263) and patients with early-stage PD (p= 0.0101) than in HCs. NIMA-related kinase 7 (NEK7) expression progressively decreased across the disease spectrum (HCs vs. patients with early-stage PD, p=0.0008; vs. patients with late-stage PD, p<0.0001). In contrast, apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a caspase recruitment domain (ASC) and caspase-1 were elevated in patients with PD, especially those in the late stages. Levels of patients with MSA resembled those of HCs but differed from those of patients with PD. Interleukin (IL)-1β and IL-18 levels were not significantly different. In patients with early-stage PD, NLRP3 expression was negatively correlated with disease duration, the Movement Disorder Society-Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale Part II score, and the cognitive score.
Conclusion
Our findings challenge the prevailing hypothesis that NLRP3 inflammasome activation directly contributes to PD pathogenesis. Instead, the observed increase in ASC and caspase-1 expression suggests the potential involvement of alternative inflammasome pathways during disease progression.

Letter to the editor

Olfactory and Gustatory Function in Early-Stage Parkinson’s Disease: Implications for Cognitive Association: Jeongjae Lee, Young Eun Kim, Joong Seob Lee, Suk Yun Kang, Min Seung Kim, In Hee Kwak, Jaeseol Park, Jung Yeon Nam, Hyeo-il Ma; J Mov Disord. 2024;17(4):450-452. Published online June 27, 2024; DOI: https://doi.org/10.14802/jmd.23243

2,619 View
103 Download

PDF Supplementary Material

Original Article

Comparative Olfactory Profiles in Parkinson’s Disease and Drug-Induced Parkinsonism: In Hee Kwak, Young Eun Kim, Suk Yun Kang, Joong Seob Lee, Jeongjae Lee, Min Seung Kim, Dong A Yea, Hyeo-il Ma; J Mov Disord. 2024;17(1):64-70. Published online October 6, 2023; DOI: https://doi.org/10.14802/jmd.23105

4,689 View
467 Download
5 Web of Science
5 Crossref

Abstract PDF Supplementary Material

Objective
Drug-induced parkinsonism (DIP) is a frequently encountered diagnostic possibility when considering Parkinson’s disease (PD). While olfactory dysfunction is a common clinical feature in PD, the comparison of olfactory function between the two conditions remains insufficient. This study aimed to compare olfactory function, including threshold, discrimination, and identification (TDI) profiles, between PD and DIP.
Methods
Consecutive patients with drug-naïve PD (n = 78) or DIP (n = 31) confirmed through dopamine transporter imaging were enrolled in this study. The YSK olfactory function (YOF) test, composed of TDI domains culturally familiar odorants to Koreans, was administered to all patients.
Results
In the study population, patients with DIP were significantly older than patients with PD. Over 70% of patients in each group had hyposmia or anosmia, and there was no significant difference in the occurrence of olfactory dysfunction between the two groups. In addition, there were no differences in the total YOF score and threshold score between the two groups. Meanwhile, the PD group had a significantly lower discrimination and identification score than the DIP group after adjusting for age, sex, the existence of diabetes, disease duration, and cognitive function.
Conclusion
This study demonstrated that detailed olfactory profiles are different in PD and DIP, even though olfactory dysfunction can be observed in both conditions.

Citations

Citations to this article as recorded by

Olfactory dysfunction as potential biomarker in neurodegenerative diseases: a narrative review
Nicolas De Cleene, Katarína Schwarzová, Samuel Labrecque, Clancy Cerejo, Atbin Djamshidian, Klaus Seppi, Beatrice Heim
Frontiers in Neuroscience.2025;[Epub] CrossRef
Alpha-synuclein pathology and Parkinson’s disease-related olfactory dysfunctions: an update on preclinical models and therapeutic approaches
Jancy Nixon Abraham, Devesh Rawat, Priyadharshini Srikanth, Lisni P. Sunny, Nixon M. Abraham
Mammalian Genome.2025; 36(2): 444. CrossRef
Prevalence and clinical impact of alpha-synuclein pathology in idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus: Insights from RT-QuIC assay
Je kook Yu, Hye Joung Choi, Dongwoo Kim, Pham Hong Ngoc, In Hee Kwak, Huu Dat Nguyen, Trung Nguyen Thanh, Suk Jun Song, Jeongjae Lee, Hyeo-il Ma, Young Eun Kim
Parkinsonism & Related Disorders.2025; 136: 107857. CrossRef
Case Report: Practical approach to differentiating juvenile parkinsonism of genetic cause and drug-induced parkinsonism in adolescents: a case series and literature review
Ioana Grigore, Lăcrămioara Ionela Butnariu, Thomas Gabriel Schreiner, Vasile Valeriu Lupu, Ancuta Lupu, Ludmila Darie, Cătălin Prăzaru, Elena Țarcă, Setalia Popa, Ecaterina Grigore
Frontiers in Genetics.2025;[Epub] CrossRef
Peripheral inflammatory markers and clinical phenotypes reflecting the impact of diabetes on Parkinson's disease
In Hee Kwak, Hyeo-il Ma, Yun Joong Kim, Hye-Mi Noh, Jeongjae Lee, Je Kook Yu, Young Eun Kim
Journal of Parkinson’s Disease.2025; 15(8): 1431. CrossRef

First
Prev
Page of 1
Next
Last

Search