Serum levels of coenzyme Q(10) in patients with Parkinson's disease

We compared serum levels of coenzyme Q(10) and the coenzyme Q(10)/cholester ol ratio in 33 patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) and 31 matched contro ls. The mean serum coenzyme Q(10) levels did not differ significantly betwe en the 2 study groups. Coenzyme Q(10) levels were not correlated with age, age at onset, duration of the disease, scores of the Unified Parkinson Dise ase Rating Scale (UPDRS) or the Hoehn and Yahr staging in the PD group. The coenzyme Q(10)/cholesterol ratio had a significant correlation (although l ow) with duration of the disease (r = -0.46), total UPDRS score (r = -0.39) , motor examination of the UPDRS (r = 0.45). These values were not influenc ed significantly by therapy with levodopa or dopamine agonists. The normali ty of serum coenzyme Q(10) and coenzyme Q(10)/cholesterol ratio suggest tha t these values are not related with the risk for PD.