Nose-residing Inflammatory Bacteria may heighten the risk of Parkinson's disease.
A new study published in the journal npj Parkinson's Disease suggests that individuals with Parkinson's may have an elevated number of pro-inflammatory bacteria in their nasal cavities. This bacterial imbalance could potentially trigger brain inflammation, which might contribute to the development of the neurological disorder.
Researchers hypothesized that these bacteria might be catalysts for inflammation in the brain, with the nasal cavity serving as a possible entry point for the inflammatory process. To explore this theory, scientists at Rush University in Chicago analyzed bacteria in the deep nasal sinus cavities of 30 individuals with Parkinson's.
The study's focus on the deep nasal sinus cavity is significant because it is located close to the olfactory bulb, a brain structure involved in the sense of smell. Previous research examining bacteria in the outer nasal cavity has not yielded substantial findings specific to Parkinson's.
Using a technique called 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing, the team compared the bacterial diversity found in the deep nasal sinus cavities of Parkinson's patients to those of 11 of their spouses and 17 non-spousal healthy controls. Results indicated that individuals with Parkinson's displayed higher amounts of certain bacteria that are associated with pro-inflammatory effects.
One such bacteria, Moraxella catarrhalis, is known as an opportunistic pathogen, meaning it usually does not cause disease but can under certain circumstances. The scientists noted that while M. catarrhalis was not always linked with Parkinson's, microbiomes with the highest abundances of this bacteria consistently came from people with the disease.
Statistical analyses showed that patients with higher amounts of M. catarrhalis and other pro-inflammatory bacteria tended to exhibit more severe Parkinson's symptoms. The researchers proposed that an increased abundance of these bacteria in the nasal microbiome might promote nasal and potentially neuroinflammation in Parkinson's.
In addition to high levels of pro-inflammatory bacteria, Parkinson's patients also tended to have lower levels of bacteria with anti-inflammatory properties, such as Blautia wexlerae, Lachnospira pectinoschiza, and Propionibacterium humerusii.
The study's small sample size and limited scope have prompted researchers to call for further research to fully understand the complex relationship between the microbiome and Parkinson's disease. Future studies could help elucidate the role of the nasal microbiome in the development and progression of Parkinson's.
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