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Dopamine transporter SPECT in patients with mitochondrial disorders.

Minnerop M, Kornblum C, Joe AY, Tatsch K, Kunz WS, Klockgether T, Wüllner U, Reinhardt MJ

Department of Neurology, University of Bonn, Sigmund-Freud-Strasse 25, Bonn 53105, Germany.

BACKGROUND: Mitochondrial disorders may affect basal ganglia function. In addition, decreased activity of complex I of the mitochondrial electron transport chain has been linked to the pathogenesis of dopaminergic cell loss in Parkinson's disease.Objective : To investigate the dopaminergic system in patients with known mitochondrial disorders and complex I deficiency. METHODS: Dopamine transporter density was studied in 10 female patients with mitochondrial complex I deficiency by (123)I-FP-CIT (N-beta-fluoropropyl-2beta-carbomethyl-3beta-(4-iodophenyl)-nortropane) SPECT. RESULTS: No differences in (123)I-FP-CIT striatal binding ratios were observed and no correlation of the degree of complex I deficiency and striatal binding ratios could be detected. CONCLUSIONS: These data argue against the possibility that mitochondrial complex I deficiency by itself is sufficient to elicit dopaminergic cell loss.

Published 20 December 2004 in J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry, 76(1): 118-20.
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