# A Theoretical and Practical Analysis of Membrane Protein Genes Altered in Neutrophils in Parkinson’s Disease

## TL;DR

This study identifies genes in neutrophils that are significantly upregulated in Parkinson’s disease, offering potential biomarkers for early detection.

## Contribution

The first evidence of CLCN2 expression in neutrophils and the significant upregulation of four genes in Parkinson’s disease.

## Key findings

- ORAI3 and CLCN2 are significantly upregulated in neutrophils from Parkinson’s disease patients.
- ACTB and SNCA are unexpectedly upregulated in neutrophils of Parkinson’s disease patients.
- This is the first report of CLCN2 expression in neutrophils.

## Abstract

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a major health concern, with no accurate or early diagnostic test available for most patients. Chronic inflammation is a recognized contributor to PD pathogenesis; thus, membrane proteins of inflammatory cells such as neutrophils present an accessible target for detecting early molecular changes. In this study, we conducted a theoretical analysis using the GSE99039 database to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in leukocytes from PD patients. From this, we selected nine top candidates for digital polymerase chain reaction (dPCR) analysis in isolated neutrophils from nine PD patients and nine matched controls. Our results revealed significant upregulation of ORAI3 and CLCN2. Unexpectedly, both ACTB (β-actin) and SNCA (alpha-synuclein) were also upregulated in neutrophils. Notably, this study provides the first evidence of CLCN2 expression in neutrophils and demonstrates the significant upregulation of four genes via dPCR. These genes may serve as potential biomarkers for future research on PD detection.