Home › Research › Down syndrome and Alzheimer's
Prolonged coenzyme Q10 treatment in Down syndrome patients: effect on DNA oxidation
Tiano L, Padella L, Santoro L, Carnevali P, Principi F, Brugè F, Gabrielli O, Littarru GP.. Neurobiology of aging, 2011-05-23
Topic: Brain proteins, microglia and lab models
Oxidative stress is known to play a relevant role in Down syndrome (DS) and its effects are documented from embryonic life. Oxidative DNA damage has been shown to be significantly elevated in Down syndrome patients, and this has been indicated as an early event promoting neurodegeneration and Alzheimer type dementia. The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy of coenzyme Q(10) (CoQ(10)) in delaying the effect of oxidative damage in these patients. In our previous study we demonstrated a mild protective effect of CoQ(10) on DNA, although the treatment was unable to modify the overall extent of oxidative damage at the patient level. Possible limitations of the previous study were: time of treatment (6 months) or spectrum of DNA lesions detected. In order to overcome these limitations we planned a continuation of the trial aimed at evaluating the effects of CoQ(10) following a prolonged treatment. Our results highlight an age-specific reduction in the percentage of cells showing the highest amount of oxidized bases, indicating a potential role of CoQ(10) in modulating DNA repair mechanisms.
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
APA 7th
Tiano, L., Padella, L., Santoro, L., Carnevali, P., Principi, F., Brugè, F., et al. (2012). Prolonged coenzyme Q10 treatment in Down syndrome patients: effect on DNA oxidation. Neurobiology of aging. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2011.03.025
Vancouver
Tiano L, Padella L, Santoro L, Carnevali P, Principi F, Brugè F, et al. Prolonged coenzyme Q10 treatment in Down syndrome patients: effect on DNA oxidation. Neurobiology of aging. 2012. doi:10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2011.03.025. PMID: 21601315.
BibTeX
@article{tiano2012-21601315,
author = {Tiano, L. and Padella, L. and Santoro, L. and Carnevali, P. and Principi, F. and Brugè, F. and Gabrielli, O. and Littarru, G. P.},
title = {{Prolonged coenzyme Q10 treatment in Down syndrome patients: effect on DNA oxidation}},
journal = {Neurobiology of aging},
year = {2012},
doi = {10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2011.03.025},
pmid = {21601315},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2011.03.025}
}
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. The record names 8 authors; APA and Vancouver show the first six, BibTeX and the downloads carry all of them. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
Key findings
- Oxidative DNA damage has been shown to be significantly elevated in Down syndrome patients, and this has been indicated as an early event promoting neurodegeneration and Alzheimer type dementia.
- In our previous study we demonstrated a mild protective effect of CoQ(10) on DNA, although the treatment was unable to modify the overall extent of oxidative damage at the patient level.
- Our results highlight an age-specific reduction in the percentage of cells showing the highest amount of oxidized bases, indicating a potential role of CoQ(10) in modulating DNA repair mechanisms.
Why it matters
In people with Down syndrome, prolonged coenzyme Q10 treatment produced an age-specific reduction in the percentage of cells with the highest amount of oxidized DNA bases, suggesting a possible role in modulating DNA repair. The earlier shorter trial had shown only a mild protective effect on DNA and was unable to change the overall extent of oxidative damage, so this remains a preliminary finding about oxidative damage rather than a demonstrated treatment for dementia.
Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 39/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported and randomized / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Neurobiology of aging) |
| Journal's citation record | 3 / 4 | Neurobiology of Aging: journal h-index 263 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 1 / 5 | 2012 — within 20 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 3 / 3 | Studied in people (pubmed indexes it as a clinical or observational study) |
| Randomized / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomization or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 4 / 7 | Cited 44 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 1 / 5 | 2.8 citations a year over 16 year(s) since 2012 |
| Impact for its field and year | 2 / 6 | Cited 1.3× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 2 / 6 | Cited by 3 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 1 / 4 | Cited 6 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 2 / 4 | Last-listed author Gian Paolo Littarru: h-index 37 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 0 / 3 | Marche Polytechnic University: institution h-index 419 (OpenAlex) |
| Multicenter collaboration | 0 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 1 institution(s) in 1 country — scores zero (affiliation lists can be incomplete) |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 21601315) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 39 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
May need a subscription OpenAlex found no free copy of the full text (checked 6 Feb 1020), so the publisher may charge for it. The PubMed abstract is free.
Related
Studies in the library that share something with this one. The line above each title says what.
Studies this one cites
Referenced by this study and also in the alzhub library, so you can read them here.
Later studies that cite this one
3 studies in the alzhub library list this one in their references.
Related studies in Down syndrome and Alzheimer's
Also tagged “down”
527 studies in the library carry the topic tag “down”; these are this study's neighbours in a fixed, alphabetical-by-hash tour of them, not the closest in content. All 527 tagged studies.