Monocytes isolated from PD patients display elevated α-syn levels and defective phagocytosis.

<p>(<b>A</b>) PBMCs isolated from a normal donor and an individual carrying the SNCA triplication were subject to immunoblot and flow cytometry analysis for α-syn levels (gel and histogram is representative of n = 1). (<b>B</b>) PBMCs from 2 normal donors and an individual carrying the SNCA triplication were fed fluorescently labeled RBCs. Percent monocytes positive for phagocytosis was determined by flow cytometry. Representative fluorescent images of 488 phalloidin stained PMBCs (green) with ingested RBCs (red) are shown. (<b>C</b>) PBMCs were stained for α-syn, and monocyte and lymphocyte populations were identified in the parent PBMC sample, using specific cell surface markers, we did not sort the cell populations. Intracellular α-syn levels are shown as the geo-mean of α-syn minus isotype control (n = 14 for normal donors and 34 sporadic PD +/− s.e.m *p≤001 when the α-syn geo mean for control donors was compared with the geo mean for sporadic PD PMBCs). PBMCs from 7 normal donors and 7 sporadic PD patients were subject to immunoblot analysis for α-syn. Specific PBMC samples 1–7 were selected for immunoblot analysis and marked in red for control donors and blue for sporadic PD donors. (<b>D</b>) Isolated PBMC's were fed fluorescently labeled RBCs. were subjected to flow cytometry analysis and percent monocytes positive for phagocytosis determine. Individual samples chosen for immunoblot analysis are marked out in red for control donors and blue for sporadic PD donors, (n = 14 for normal donors and 34 sporadic PD). The difference between the percent responses from control and PD was statistically significant with *p<0.001. (<b>E</b>). A correlation between α-syn levels, calculated as geo-mean and percent monocytes positive for phagocytosis was calculated.