(ORDO NEWS) — An international team of scientists investigating the effect of blood composition on various mental illnesses has identified a previously unknown genetic link between platelets and Parkinson’s disease.
Differences in the functional and physiological properties of blood cells are associated with a range of neurological and psychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia, multiple sclerosis, and Parkinson’s disease.
However, until now, researchers could not say what the nature of this relationship is (genetic or physiological) and what is the effect and what is the cause.
To answer these questions, an international team of scientists from Australia, the US and Denmark analyzed data from large-scale genetic studies and tested genetic correlations between 29 blood parameters and 11 neuropsychiatric disorders.
Blood tests are quite common (for example, they must be taken during the annual physical examination), so scientists have long been interested in developing reliable biomarkers that could be used to judge whether a patient is “at risk” for a certain disease or not.
Early diagnosis is critical to successfully treating or at least slowing down the degeneration of nerve tissue, which will allow a person to remain relatively healthy for longer.
In the new study, the researchers found a strong correlation of neuropsychiatric disorders with four blood parameters: multiple sclerosis, white blood cell count, and lymphocyte count; schizophrenia and the percentage of monocytes among all leukocytes; Parkinson’s disease and platelet distribution width.
The latter link was found for the first time, and now, since the platelet distribution width is determined in a routine blood test, this can serve as a good biomarker for the early diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease.
The scientists have also identified several functional genes and regulatory elements for specific parameters of blood composition and neuropsychiatric diseases, some of which are already targets for drug development.
Now researchers have to analyze and evaluate genes that have not yet been used, so the results of the study will help not only in the early diagnosis of dangerous neurodegenerative diseases, but also in the development of new effective drugs.
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