Could a Virus Cause Some Cases of Parkinson Disease?

A postmortem analysis suggests a pathogenetic role for human pegivirus.

Both genetic and environmental factors contribute to the pathogenesis of Parkinson disease (PD), but genetic forms of PD account for fewer than 20% of cases, sparking interest in the possibility of infectious causes. In a postmortem analysis, researchers performed whole virome sequencing and quantitative polymerase chain reaction to investigate potential mechanisms associated with neurodegeneration.

Key results were as follows:

Human pegivirus was identified in 5 of 10 brain samples from patients with PD.
Samples from 14 age- and sex-matched controls were tested; all were pegivirus-negative.
Pegivirus-positive brains had neuropathologic evidence of PD.
Immune signaling was impaired only in pegivirus-positive brains.
In samples from patients with …

Reviewing Author

Michael S. Okun, MD

Disclosures

Consultant/Advisory BoardParkinson’s Foundation; Tourette Association of America

Speaker’s BureauMedscape/WebMD CME, Movement Disorders Society CME, American Academy of Neurology CME

RoyaltiesBooks4Patients; Demos; Cambridge; Taylor and Francis; Robert Rose; Public Affairs

Grant/Research SupportNational Institutes of Health; Parkinson’s Foundation; Tourette Association of America; University of Florida Foundation

Editorial BoardsTremor and Other Hyperkinetic Movements; JAMA Neurology

Leadership Positions in Professional SocietiesParkinson’s Foundation (Medical Advisor)