Alpha-synuclein levels in patients with multiple system atrophy: a meta-analysis

ABSTRACT

Purpose: This study evaluates the relationship between multiple system atrophy and α-synuclein levels in the cerebrospinal fluid, plasma and neural tissue.

Method: Literature search for relevant research articles was undertaken in electronic databases and study selection was based on a priori eligibility criteria. Random-effects meta-analyses of standardized mean differences in α-synuclein levels between multiple system atrophy patients and normal controls were conducted to obtain the overall and subgroup effect sizes. Meta-regression analyses were performed to evaluate the effect of age, gender and disease severity on standardized mean differences.

Results: Data were obtained from 11 studies involving 378 multiple system atrophy patients and 637 healthy controls (age: multiple system atrophy patients 64.14 [95% confidence interval 62.05, 66.23] years; controls 64.16 [60.06, 68.25] years; disease duration: 44.41 [26.44, 62.38] months). Cerebrospinal fluid α-synuclein levels were significantly lower in multiple system atrophy patients than in controls but in plasma and neural tissue, α-synuclein levels were significantly higher in multiple system atrophy patients (standardized mean difference: −0.99 [−1.65, −0.32]; p = 0.001). Percentage of male multiple system atrophy patients was significantly positively associated with the standardized mean differences of cerebrospinal fluid α-synuclein levels (p = 0.029) whereas the percentage of healthy males was not associated with the standardized mean differences of cerebrospinal fluid α-synuclein levels (p = 0.920).

Conclusion: In multiple system atrophy patients, α-synuclein levels were significantly lower in the cerebrospinal fluid and were positively associated with the male gender.

KEYWORDS:

• Multiple system atrophy
• alpha-synuclein
• glia
• synucleinopathies
• biomarker

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Acknowledgments

We acknowledge the support and input from Chinese PLA General Hospital.