Iron serum level and TIBC in Parkinson disease

Parkinson disease is one of the neurodegenerative diseases, with a prevalence of about 1% in people older than 65. From a pathological point of view, degeneration of neuromelanin cells in pars compacta of substantia nigra has been established. The reason of degeneration is unknouwn. Increase in iron concentration in substantia nigra of parkinson’s patients has been established. The increase of iron in this part of brain is due to the altered systemic iron metabolism in these patients. In this study the serum levels of iron and TIBC in 34 patients and 102 matched healthy persons were measured. Normality of Hb, Hct, MCV and MCH were considered as inclusion criterion in both groups. Two sample t-test indicated that iron serum level and TIBC in Parkinson patients were significantly lower than the controls (P<0.0001). Hct and Hb levels were lower whereas MCV and MCH levels were higher in patients group. A significant difference was observed between the two groups for iron serum level and TIBC. There was no relationship between age, sex, the disease duration and its severity with iron serum level and TIBC. Due to iron sedimentation in substantia nigra in patients, this study may prove the role of iron in the pathogenesis or the defect in systematic iron metabolism, in this disease.