Lower Serum Bilirubin and Uric Acid Concentrations in Patients with Parkinson’s Disease in China

The objective of the study is to investigate the correlation between bilirubin and uric acid (UA) concentrations and symptoms of Parkinson’s disease (PD) in Chinese population. A total of 425 PD patients and 460 controls were included in the current study. Patients were diagnosed by a neurologist and assessed using the Hoehn & Yahr (H&Y) scale. Venous blood samples were collected, and bilirubin and UA concentrations were analyzed. Compared to controls, indirect bilirubin (IBIL) and UA concentrations were lower in PD patients (P IBIL = 0.015, P UA = 0.000). Serum IBIL in different age subgroups and H&Y stage subgroups were also lower compared to the control group (P IBIL = 0.000, P UA = 0.000) but were not significantly different among these subgroups. Females in the control group had significantly lower serum IBIL and UA concentrations than males (P IBIL = 0.000, P UA = 0.000) and the PD group (P IBIL = 0.027, P UA = 0.000). In early PD (patients with <2-year medical history and no treatment), serum IBIL and UA concentrations were also lower than the controls (P IBIL = 0.013, P UA = 0.000). Although IBIL concentration was positively correlated with UA concentration in controls (R IBIL = 0.229, P IBIL = 0.004), this positive association was not observed in the PD group (R IBIL = −0.032, P IBIL = 0.724). Decreased levels of serum IBIL and UA were observed in PD patients. It is possible that individuals with decreased serum bilirubin and UA concentrations lack the endogenous defense system to prevent peroxynitrite and other free radicals from damaging and destroying dopaminergic cells in the substantia nigra. Our results provide a basis for further investigation into the role of bilirubin in PD.