Family study bolsters link between pesticides and Parkinson's

["M.Schild" <mmoo@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Family study bolsters link between pesticides and Parkinson's
For the first time, the association between Parkinsonâs disease and exposure 
to pesticides has been shown in patients with the neurological disorder 
compared with their unaffected relatives, according to a study in the online 
open access journal BMC Neurology. 
Parkinsonâs disease is a common neurological disorder affecting about 1 
million people in the USA. The disorder typically develops in later life 
resulting in symptoms such as tremors and muscle rigidity
Although variations in several genes have been identified that contribute to 
the disease, these rare genetic defects account for a small proportion of the 
overall prevalence of the disorder.
The majority of Parkinsonâs disease cases are thought to be due to an 
interaction between genetic and environmental factors.
 âPrevious studies have shown that individuals with Parkinsonâs disease are 
over twice as likely to report being exposed to pesticides as unaffected 
individualsâ says the studyâs lead author, Dana Hancock, âbut few studies 
have looked at this association in people from the same family or have 
assessed associations between specific classes of pesticides and Parkinsonâs 
disease.â
The study of related individuals who share environmental and genetic 
backgrounds that might contribute to Parkinsonâs disease enables researchers 
to identify specific differences in exposures between individuals with and 
without the disease. The research team from Duke University Medical Center 
(Durham, NC) and the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine Morris K. 
Udall Parkinson Disease Research Center of Excellence (Miami, FL, USA) 
recruited 319 patients and over 200 relatives. They used telephone interviews 
to obtain histories of pesticide exposure, living or working on a farm, and 
well-water drinking.
 The authors detected an association between pesticide use and Parkinsonâs 
disease. Among these, the strongest were between the disorder and use of 
herbicides and insecticides, such as organochlorides and organophosphates. No 
association was found between Parkinsonâs disease and well-water drinking or 
living or working on a farm, which are two commonly used proxies for 
pesticide exposures. 
Many studies have supported pesticides as a risk factor for PD, 
but âbiological evidence is presently insufficient to conclude that pesticide 
exposure causes PDâ, says Hancock. âFurther investigation of these specific 
pesticides and others may lead to identification of pertinent biological 
pathways influencing PD development.â In addition future genetic studies of 
Parkinsonâs disease should consider the influence of pesticides, since 
exposure to pesticides may provide a trigger for the disease in genetically 
predisposed individuals.
###
Notes to Editors
1. Pesticide exposure and risk of Parkinson's disease: a family-based 
case-control study 
Dana B Hancock, Eden R Martin, Gregory M Mayhew, Jeffrey M Stajich, Rita 
Jewett, Mark A Stacy, Burton L Scott, 
Jeffery M Vance and William K Scott 
BMC Neurology (in press)

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