Link Between Pesticides And Parkinson's Strengthened With Family Study
ScienceDaily (Mar. 29, 2008) - For the first time, the association between
Parkinson's disease and exposure to pesticides has been shown in patients
with the neurological disorder compared with their unaffected relatives,
according to a new study. Parkinson's 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 Parkinson's disease cases are thought to be due to an
interaction between genetic and environmental factors.
"Previous studies have shown that individuals with Parkinson's disease are
over twice as likely to report being exposed to pesticides as unaffected
individuals" says the study's lead author, Dana Hancock, "but few studies
have looked at this association in people from the same family or have
assessed associations between specific classes of pesticides and Parkinson's
disease."
The study of related individuals who share environmental and genetic
backgrounds that might contribute to Parkinson's 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 Parkinson's
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 Parkinson's 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
"biological evidence is presently insufficient to conclude that pesticide
exposure causes PD", says Hancock. "Further investigation of these specific
pesticides and others may lead to identification of pertinent biological
pathways influencing PD development." In addition future genetic studies of
Parkinson's disease should consider the influence of pesticides, since
exposure to pesticides may provide a trigger for the disease in genetically
predisposed individuals.
Journal reference: 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. Pesticide exposure and risk of Parkinson's disease: a
family-based case-control study. BMC Neurology (in press)
Adapted from materials provided by BioMed Central/BMC Neurology, via
EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.
2008, March 29). Link Between Pesticides And Parkinson's Strengthened With
Family Study. ScienceDaily
Rayilyn Brown
Board Member AZNPF
Arizona Chapter National Parkinson's Foundation
rbrown@xxxxxxxxx
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