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Literatür Eczacılık Bilimleri Dergisi, vol.13, no.3, pp.141-150, 2024 (Peer-Reviewed Journal)
Objective: Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disease. The cause of PD is shown to be the decrease or degradation of dopaminergic activity in the brainstem region, which is thought to be triggered by environmental factors, aging, infectious agents, and other pathological conditions. Abnormalities in the folate-mediated one-carbon pathway may play a role in the pathophysiology of PD as it increases total homocysteine (Hcy) levels. We aimed to show possible associations between folate, Hcy, cysteine (Cys), and vitamin B12 levels, which function in the one-carbon pathway, and PD risk. Furthermore, the effect of genetic polymorphism of MTHFR and MTR, which are involved in the one-carbon pathway, on PD risk was investigated. Material and Methods: 108 patients diagnosed with PD and 97 healthy volunteers participated in this study. The biochemical parameters were measured by ELISA, and genetic polymorphisms analyzed by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism. Results: After adjustment for confounding factors such as age, smoking habit, and gender, there was a statistically significant increase in the risk of PD as folic acid levels increased and as vitamin B12 and Hcy levels decreased. These findings suggest that extra folic acid intake in the patients' diets may have been the cause of these findings. Higher Hcy levels were observed in PD patients with the MTHFR C677T TT genotype and the MTR A2756G GG genotype. However, this difference was not significant. No effect of Cys levels on PD risk was observed. Conclusion: MTHFR C677T and MTR A2756G gene polymorphisms were not found to be risk factors for PD.