The Connection Between Your Appendix and Parkinson's

Scientists have discovered a new clue that Parkinson's disease may get its start not in the brain, but in the gut - and possibly in the appendix. It was found that people who had their appendix removed early in life had a lower risk of getting the tremor-inducing brain disease decades later.

The appendix, which is often considered to be useless, seems to be a storage depot for an abnormal protein. Which, if it somehow makes its way into the brain, becomes a hallmark of Parkinson's. But, before you do go rushing to a surgeon, Viviane Labrie of Michigan's Van Andel Research Institute, a neuroscientist and geneticist who led the research team, stressed: "we're not saying to go out and get an appendectomy." Furthermore, there are plenty of people who have no appendix yet still develop Parkinson's. In addition, plenty of others harbor the protein but never get sick.

Understanding the gut connection

Doctors and patients have long suspected a connection between the gastrointestinal tract and Parkinson's. It was also noticed that constipation and other GI troubles are very common for a number of years before patients experience tremors and movement difficulty that lead to a Parkinson's diagnosis.

Dr. Allison Willis, a Parkinson's specialist at the University of Pennsylvania, who wasn't part of the study, but has many of her patients ask about the gut link says "This is a great piece of the puzzle. It is a fundamental clue."

James Beck, Parkinson's Foundation chief scientific officer, who too wasn't involved agreed that "there's a lot of tantalizing potential connections." Furthermore, he noted that despite its reputation, the appendix appears to play a role in immunity which may influence gut inflammation. In addition, the type of gut bacteria that live in the gut may also affect Parkinson's. 

However, if it truly is common to harbor that Parkinson's-linked protein, "what we don't know is what starts it, what gets this whole ball rolling," Beck says.

Scientists have for many years hypothesized about what might cause the gut-Parkinson's connection. One main theory included the possibility of bad "alpha-synuclein" protein which can travel from nerve fibers in the GI tract up the vagus nerve. This connects the body's major organs to the brain. Abnormal alpha-synuclein is toxic to brain cells involved with movement. There have also been other clues. Decades ago, people who have had their vagus nerve cut as part of a now-abandoned therapy had a reduced risk of Parkinson's. Smaller studies have suggested appendectomies, too, might be protective - but the results were conflicting.

Consequently, Labrie's team set out to find stronger evidence. Firstly, the researchers analyzed Sweden's national health database. They examined medical records of nearly 1.7 million people tracked since 1964. It was discovered that the risk of Parkinson's was 19% lower among those who had their appendix surgically removed decades earlier. What was found to be puzzling was that people living in rural areas appeared to get the benefit. Labrie said that it is possible that the appendix plays a role in environmental risk factors for Parkinson's, including pesticide exposure. In addition, further analysis suggested that people who developed Parkinson's despite an early-in-life appendectomy tended to have symptoms appear a few years later than similarly aged patients.


A common protein

Dr. Andrew Feigin, executive director of the Parkinson's Institute at NYU Langone Health, who wasn't involved in the research says that kind of study doesn't prove that removing the appendix is what reduces the risk. Consequently, Labrie's team examined tissue from 48 Parkinson's-free people. It was found that in 46 of them, the appendix harbored the abnormal Parkinson's-linked protein. So did some Parkinson's patients. Whether the appendix was inflamed or not also did not affect their findings.

This is a crucial finding because it means merely harboring the protein in the gut isn't enough to trigger Parkinson's, Labrie said. There has to be another step that makes it dangerous only for certain people. She says, "the difference we think is how you manage this pathology," she said, about how the body handles the buildup.

Her team plans additional studies. The findings are compelling, however, another key question is if the abnormal protein collects in healthy people's intestines. In addition, Penn Willis adds another caution: There are other unrelated risks for Parkinson's disease, this includes suffering a traumatic brain injury. "This could be one of many avenues that lead to Parkinson's disease, but it's a very exciting one," she said.

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Abnormal proteins linked to aggressive behavior among dementia patients

In a recent study, scientists have observed an association between certain proteins and  dementia sufferers` tendency, to commit criminal acts. The research studied deceased patients who were diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease Alzheimer's disease or frontotemporal dementia. “This study is unique in that we studied deceased patients, something that means we are 100 per cent sure of the dementia diagnosis, which is not always established while the patients are alive,” said a researcher.

“In addition, we observed that the likelihood of committing criminal acts was nine times higher among patients with frontotemporal dementia who had accumulations in the brain of certain abnormal proteins, above all TDP-43, compared with those who had accumulations of tau protein. The TDP-43 proteins seem therefore to be particularly associated with developing criminal behaviour among people with frontotemporal dementia,” she added.

When a person who previously has been perceived by those around them as well-behaved starts committing criminal acts such as theft, shoplifting, sexual harassment or other aggressive behaviours, there may be a dementia disease behind these unexpected actions. Researchers in the Neuropathology team studied 220 deceased patients with Alzheimer`s disease or frontotemporal dementia (FTD), who had been monitored at the Clinic between 1967 and 2017.

Of these, 30 per cent had committed a criminal offence – 15 per cent of the total number of patients who had Alzheimer`s and 42 per cent among those who had FTD. The latter group committed repeated criminal offences to a greater extent than the Alzheimer`s group. When examining the behaviour such as excessively loud laughing or unexpected shouting, the frontotemporal dementia group is also over-represented (75 per cent), compared with the Alzheimer`s group (56 per cent). “It confirms what we have seen in previous studies.

With these patients, the damage is in the frontal part of the brain, where our personality, including impulse control and empathy, resides”, said a Dr., emphasising that dementia diseases do not exclusively affect the elderly. “Frontotemporal dementia can also occur in younger people and it can often take a long while before there is a correct diagnosis. That is why it`s important that relatives, healthcare services, the police and the entire legal system respond to altered social and criminal behaviour and provide assistance to enable these people to get medical care”, she concluded.

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What Is Lupus?

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 Lupus is a lifelong disorder of the immune system. Immune cells attack the body's own healthy tissues, leading to inflammation and tissue damage. Symptoms may be limited to the skin, but more often lupus also causes internal problems such as joint pain. In severe cases, it can damage the heart, kidneys, and other vital organs. Although there's no cure, there are treatments that can minimize the damage.Some develop butterfly rash across cheeks, or may develop sensitivity to sun with flaky skin, with rashes on various parts of the body.


 Joint and muscle pain is often the first sign of lupus. This pain tends to occur on both sides of the body at the same time, particularly in the joints of the wrists, hands, fingers, and knees. The joints may look inflamed and feel warm to the touch. But unlike rheumatoid arthritis, lupus usually does not cause permanent joint damage.

Changes in Nails-as the nails can crack or fall off. They may be discolored with blue or reddish spots at the base. These spots are actually in the nail bed, the result of inflamed small blood vessels. Swelling may also make the skin around the base of the nail look red and puffy.

One of the warning signs of lupus is low grade fever and fatigue which can interfere with daily chores.

 Some people with lupus develop a condition called Raynaud's phenomenon. Their fingers and toes become painful, numb, and tingly in response to cold temperatures or emotional stress. This happens when small blood vessels spasm and restrict blood flow to the area. During an attack, the fingers and toes may turn white or blue. People can also have Raynaud's without having lupus or any serious health complications.

 One aspect that sets lupus apart is the combination of skin rashes with joint pain and fatigue. There are also lab tests that can help distinguish lupus from other diseases. There is no one test for lupus, certain proteins usually show up in a patient's blood. A blood test for antinuclear antibodies (ANAs) can provide a critical clue. Other lab tests may check cell counts, kidney function, and clotting time. A tissue biopsy of an involved organ such as the skin or kidneys sometimes helps with diagnosis.

When people say "lupus," they usually mean systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), the most common and serious type. But there are other types. Cutaneous lupus erythematosus -- also called discoid lupus -- is limited to the skin and doesn't cause the organ damage that sometimes occurs with SLE. The most common symptom is a circular rash. Drug-induced systemic lupus causes temporary lupus symptoms in people who take certain medications.

 There are ways to control  lupus which include corticosteroid creams for rashes and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) for joint pain and fever. Antimalarial medications can help fight joint pain, ulcers, and rashes. 

How to reduce lupus flare-ups: Cover up when you're in the sun. Quit smoking. Exercise regularly.Improve your stress management skills. Get plenty of rest. Some people with lupus need up to 12 hours of sleep a night.

 As the disease progresses, it can interfere with the body's organs. Up to three out of four people with lupus can develop kidney problems. These problems may not cause symptoms, though some people notice swelling in their legs or ankles. Most patients only learn about their kidney trouble when a urine test reveals blood or abnormal protein levels.

The most common heart problem linked to lupus is an inflammation of the sac around the heart. This may cause severe pain in the left side of the chest. People with lupus are also more likely to develop plaques that narrow or clog the arteries leading to coronary artery disease. Other complications include heart valve disease and inflammation of the heart muscle.See your doctor at once, when these symptoms are there.

The tissue surrounding the lungs becomes inflamed in some people with lupus. This may lead to painful breathing, or chest pain, or it may be symptom less. Sometimes lupus causes chest pain that is not related to the lungs or the heart. Instead, the pain comes from an inflamed chest muscle or rib joint. Any chest pain should be promptly evaluated by a doctor.

 Lupus can trigger a wide range of problems with the nervous system, most commonly headaches. Mild memory problems are a less common complaint that may come and go over time. Some people with lupus have a greater risk for a stroke, and in rare cases, the disease can lead to seizures.