Time-resolved RNA signatures of CD4+ T cells in Parkinson's disease [microRNAarray]

We employed time-resolved microRNA expression analyses upon the activation of peripheral CD4+ T cells to track and functionally relate changes on cellular signaling in patients at different stages of PD A cohort of elderly male (age 53-85 yrs.; non-smokers), representative for different stages of Parkinson´s disease were tested (P1-5). Corresponding healthy controls (C1-5) (n=4) were matched for age (age 53-63 yrs.; non-smokers) and gender. One control was carried out twice (C1 and C1_2), representing independent replicates from the same healthy donor but from two different days of blood collection. CD4+ T cells were isolated from peripheral blood samples and were in vitro activated by αCD2/αCD3/αCD28 beads. Cellular samples were collected at 0, 2, 4, 8, 12 and 24 h after activation for subsequent RNA expression analyses.