Infectious Microorganisms Seen as Etiologic Agents in Parkinson’s Disease

Abstract

Infections represent a possible risk factor for parkinsonism and Parkinson’s disease (PD) based on information from epidemiology and fundamental science. The risk is unclear for the majority of agents. Moreover, the latency between infection and PD seems to be very varied and often lengthy. In this review, the evidence supporting the potential involvement of infectious microorganisms in the development of Parkinson’s disease is examined. Consequently, it is crucial to determine the cause and give additional treatment accordingly. Infection is an intriguing suggestion regarding the cause of Parkinson’s disease. These findings demonstrate that persistent infection with viral and bacterial microorganisms might be a cause of Parkinson’s disease. As an initiating factor, infection may generate a spectrum of gut microbiota dysbiosis, engagement of glial tissues, neuroinflammation, and alpha-synuclein accumulation, all of which may trigger and worsen the onset in Parkinson’s disease also contribute to its progression. Still uncertain is the primary etiology of PD with infection. The possible pathophysiology of PD infection remains a matter of debate. Furthermore, additional study is required to determine if PD patients develop the disease due to infectious microorganisms or solely since they are more sensitive to infectious causes.

Neurotropic virus infection and neurodegenerative diseases: Potential roles of autophagy pathway

“… 44 Mounting evidence supports the potential associations between viral infections and an elevated risk of NDs (Table 1 ). For instance, CVB3 infection has been verified to be related to PD, 39 while HSV‐1 with PD, AD, Multiple sclerosis (MS), and ALS, 45 , 46 , 47 , 48 Enteroviruses (EVs) with ALS, 49 and Epstein‐Barr virus (EBV) with MS. 50 Recently, available datasets from two extensive population‐based studies, termed FinnGen and UK Biobank, were leveraged to investigate risk factors. In FinnGen, 45 notable connections between viral infections and NDs were discovered, with 22 of these associations being replicated in the UK Biobank.…”

Use of antiviral drugs and incidence of Parkinson’s disease in Taiwan

“…According to a review, herpes zoster may be related to PD because of the inflammation and immunological alterations involved in both disorders [ 5 ]. Furthermore, a recent study suggests that infection may lead to a sequence of imbalances in the gut microbiota, involvement of glial tissue, inflammation of the nervous system, and buildup of α-synuclein [ 6 ]. These variables have the potential to develop and worsen PD.…”

“…However, recent a case-control study has contradictory findings [2]. Consequently, while the majority of research indicates herpes zoster as a potential contributing risk factor in the development of PD [5][6][7][8], the necessity for conducting cohort study remains to elucidate the intricacies of this relationship. Additionally, anti-infective drugs have been proposed as PD therapeutic targets [9].…”