PLASMA-LEVELS OF INORGANIC SULFATES IN PATIENTS WITH PARKINSONS-DISEASE

Some investigators reported pharmacogenetic differences in the metabol ism of sulfur-containing drugs and lower plasma sulfate levels in pati ents with Parkinson's disease (PD) compared with controls. However, ot her group did not confirm these findings. We studied the plasma levels of sulfate by indirect atomic absorption spectrophotometry in 55 PD p atients and 57 age and sex-matched controls. The plasma sulfate levels did not differ significantly between PD patient and control groups (m ean +/- SEM 73 +/- 8 and 75 +/- 7 mg/l, respectively). They were not i nfluenced by antiparkinsonian drugs and they did not correlate with ag e at onset, duration, Hoehn & Yahr staging or activities of daily livi ng subscale of the Unified Parkinson's disease rating scale. There was a low but significant correlation of plasma sulfate levels with motor examination (r = -0.36, p<0.05) and total score (r = -0.33, p<0.05) o f this scale in the PD group. These data suggest that plasma sulfate l evels are apparently unrelated with the risk for PD.