Impact of L-DOPA treatment of patients with Parkinson`s disease on mononuclear subsets and phagocytosis in the peripheral blood

The question as to the role of immunological mechanisms in neuronal death of extrapyramidal cell systems in Parkinson`s disease is till now not fully resolved. One of the approaches includes an examination of circulating blood cells. In our studies consisting of 24 patients the peripheral blood was studied before and after medication with L-DOPA compounds. Patients with Parkinson`s disease demonstrated an increase of lymphocyte Cd95/CD3 as well as a considerable number of cells dead by apoptotic processes. After treatment with L-DOPA both the percentage of CD95/CD3, acknowledged as an antigen marker characteristic for apoptotic cells as well as the number of cells dead by apoptotic processes were decreased. These findings thus indicate that levodopa treatment in Parkinson`s disease has an impact on apoptotic processes in this instance, and this should be taken into consideration as a positive event in the pathomechanism effected by this treatment.