Can skin symptoms, odor, and sebum composition help diagnose Parkinson’s disease (PD) earlier than is currently possible?
Maybe, according to new research in Dermatology Practical & Conceptual.
There is a high prevalence of skin conditions, such as seborrheic dermatitis, melanoma, bullous pemphigoid, and rosacea among people with PD. Increased sweating and odor production are also common in these individuals. In addition, certain pathological changes are seen in both the skin and nervous system, and there are distinct metabolic changes in sebum composition among individuals with PD, the study notes.
Specifically, the disrupted sphingolipid metabolism and increased short-chain fatty acids ( SCFA) may present valuable biomarkers for PD, the study authors note. “Unique Volatile organic compounds (VOC) in the sebum of PD patients, including perillaldehyde, eicosane, hippuric acid, and octadecanal, highlight the potential for using sebum as an early, noninvasive diagnostic tool,” the researchers suggest.
What’s more, the presence of distinct microbiota, specifically Malassezia yeast, and associated cutaneous odor changes could be leveraged as diagnostic tools.
” This highlights the fascinating potential for dermatologists to detect PD through olfactory cues, leveraging the altered sebum odor as a novel diagnostic approach.”
Still, more research is needed to elucidate the mechanisms underlying sebum dysregulation in PD and validate the clinical relevance of these biomarkers in larger populations.
