LRRK2G2019S as a Cause of Parkinson's Disease in North African Arabs

Abstract

Parkinson's disease is characterized by resting tremor, rigidity, and bradykinesia caused by the loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra, a good response to levodopa, and the presence of Lewy bodies. The recently identified G2019S mutation in exon 41 of the leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 gene (LRRK2) accounts for 2 to 6 percent of familial and 1 to 2 percent of sporadic cases.¹ The mutation is less common in Asian populations¹ but prevalent in patients from North Africa who have Parkinson's disease, as we describe here.