Mood disturbances in newly diagnosed Parkinson's Disease patients reflect intrathecal inflammation

In Parkinson's disease (PD), neuroinflammation may be involved in the pathogenesis of mood disorders, contributing to the clinical heterogeneity of the disease. The cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) levels of interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-2, IL-6, IL-7, IL-8, IL-9, IL-12, IL-17, interferon (IFN)γ, macrophage inflammatory protein 1-alpha (MIP-1a), MIP-1b, granulocyte colony stimulating factor (GCSF), eotaxin, tumor necrosis factor (TNF), and monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP-1), were assessed in 45 newly diagnosed and untreated PD patients and in 44 control patients. Spearman's correlations were used to explore possible associations between CSF cytokines and clinical variables including mood. Benjamini-Hochberg (B–H) correction for multiple comparisons was applied. Linear regression was used to test significant associations correcting for other clinical variables. In PD patients, higher CSF concentrations of the inflammatory molecules IL-6, IL-9, IFNγ, and GCSF were found (all B–H corrected p < 0.02). Significant associations were found between BDI-II and the levels of IL-6 (Beta = 0.438; 95%CI 1.313–5.889; p = 0.003) and IL-8 (Beta = 0.471; 95%CI 0.185–0.743; p = 0.002). Positive associations were also observed between STAI-Y state and both IL-6 (Beta = 0.452; 95%CI 1.649–7.366; p = 0.003), and IL-12 (Beta = 0.417; 95%CI 2.238–13.379; p = 0.007), and between STAI-Y trait and IL-2 (Beta = 0.354; 95%CI 1.923–14.796; p = 0.012), IL-6 (Beta = 0.362; 95%CI 0.990–6.734; p = 0.01), IL-8 (Beta = 0.341; 95%CI 0.076–0.796; p = 0.019), IL-12 (Beta = 0.328; 95%CI 0.975–12.135; p = 0.023), and IL-17 (Beta = 0.334; 95CI 0.315–4.455; p = 0.025). An inflammatory CSF milieu may be associated with depression and anxiety in the early phases of PD, supporting a role of neuroinflammation in the pathogenesis of mood disturbances.