Plasma α-Synuclein

The Plasma α-Synuclein protein assay quantifies circulating α-synuclein. α-Synuclein aggregation is the pathological hallmark of Parkinson's disease, dementia with Lewy bodies, and multiple system atrophy, collectively termed synucleinopathies. Quantitative plasma α-synuclein assays complement seed amplification assays (SAA), which detect misfolded α-synuclein with high sensitivity and specificity and are increasingly used to stratify patients for synuclein-targeted therapy trials.

1. Research-grade characterisation of synucleinopathy status in clinical cohorts.
2. Supporting differential diagnosis of Parkinson's disease and related disorders from non-synucleinopathic parkinsonism.
3. Risk stratification in prodromal disease, including REM-sleep behaviour disorder and hyposmia.
4. Biomarker endpoint in clinical trials of α-synuclein-targeted therapies.

4ml Whole Blood in EDTA

Transfer to 4°C for immediate storage and arrange shipment to Codex Genetics Laboratory (within 6 hours)

Available through Codex Genetics. Please contact us for collection requirements and referral guidance.

A positive α-synuclein SAA result is strongly consistent with a synucleinopathy (Parkinson's disease, DLB, or MSA). A negative result argues strongly against synucleinopathy and should redirect diagnostic workup. Results must be interpreted alongside clinical features by a movement disorder specialist or neurologist.

α-Synuclein is a presynaptic protein whose misfolding and aggregation underlies Parkinson's disease, dementia with Lewy bodies, and multiple system atrophy. Quantitative plasma α-synuclein assays remain an active area of investigation because total plasma levels are influenced by red-cell lysis and are not consistently altered by disease. Seed amplification assays (SAA), performed most often on CSF and increasingly on skin and blood, detect disease-associated misfolded α-synuclein with reported sensitivity of approximately 86% and specificity of 92%, and have been endorsed by the FDA and international regulators as biomarkers for clinical trial enrolment in Parkinson's disease. Interpretation of quantitative plasma α-synuclein results must account for pre-analytical factors and limited standalone diagnostic performance, and is most useful alongside clinical phenotype, imaging, and SAA testing.