Peripheral Iron and Immune Markers Are Associated With Levodopa-Induced Dyskinesia Severity in Parkinson’s Disease

Research overview

The text below is the source article’s original abstract under a verified reuse license. cc by

Abstract Background Levodopa-induced dyskinesia (LID) is a common motor complication of Parkinson’s disease (PD), yet peripheral biological factors associated with dyskinesia severity remain insufficiently characterized. Systemic inflammation and iron dysregulation have been implicated in PD, but their relationship with LID expression is unclear. We investigated the association between serum ferritin, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR), and the presence and severity of LID. Methods In this study, 302 patients with idiopathic PD receiving stable levodopa therapy for at least 24 months were evaluated. Dyskinesia severity was assessed in the medication “ON” state using the Unified Dyskinesia Rating Scale (UDysRS). Serum ferritin and complete blood counts were obtained from fasting samples, and NLR and LMR were calculated. Multivariable regression analyses were performed adjusting for age, sex, disease duration, levodopa equivalent daily dose, Hoehn and Yahr stage, motor severity, C-reactive protein, and amantadine use. Results LID was present in 158 patients (52.3%). Patients with dyskinesia had higher median ferritin levels (152 vs. 104 ng/mL, p Conclusions. Elevated serum ferritin and altered leukocyte-derived ratios (NLR, LMR) were independently associated with increased levodopa-induced dyskinesia severity in Parkinson’s disease. These biomarkers may reflect systemic biological processes linked to dyskinesia burden and warrant further evaluation in longitudinal studies.

Related topics