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Industrial solvent linked to increased risk ofParkinson's diseaseFebruary 7, 2010 | 4:13 pm
Exposure to the industrial solvent trichloroethylene increases a person's risk of developing Parkinson's
disease nearly sixfold, California researchers said Sunday. Animal studies had suggested a potential
problem with the solvent, but the new study by Dr. Samuel Goldman of the Parkinson's Institute in
Sunnyvale is the first to quantify the risk.
Parkinson's disease, caused by the death of cells in the brain that secrete the neurotransmitter
dopamine, is characterized by severe tremors, rigidity in the limbs and other symptoms. It strikes an
estimated 100,000 Americans each year and is ultimately fatal. Genetics play a role in susceptibility to
Parkinson's, but it has also been linked to head trauma, pesticides and illicit drugs.
Trichloroethylene, or TCE, is a solvent that was once widely used in dry cleaning and to clean grease
off metal parts, and it was once used as an anesthetic, especially during childbirth. But concerns about
its toxicity led to it being mostly abandoned and replaced by other anesthetics and solvents. There
have been at least three reports of clusters of Parkinson's among workers exposed to TCE. Animal
experiments following those reports showed that the chemical kills dopamine-producing cells in
substantia nigra, the part of the brain affected in Parkinson's disease. It also impairs mitochondria --
the power sources of brain and other cells -- in the same locations that are affected by the illicit
chemical MTPT, which is known to cause Parkinson's. "There's a lot of circumstantial evidence to
show that it is relevant," Goldman said in an interview.
Goldman and his colleagues identified 99 sets of twins from the World War II Veteran Twins Cohort in
which one twin had Parkinson's and the other didn't. They collected job histories for each subject and
then had them analyzed blindly by an industrial hygienist and a preventive medicine specialist to
assess exposure to occupational chemicals.
Goldman and his team found that exposure to the chemicals xylene, toluene and n-hexane was not
associated with an increased risk of Parkinson's. Those exposed to TCE, however, were 5.5 times as
likely to develop the disease as those who were not exposed. Those exposed to either TCE or
tetrachloroethylene, known as PERC, had eight times the risk. Those exposed to carbon tetrachloride
had 2.8 times the risk, and those exposed to PERC had nine times the risk; in both cases, however, the
results fell short of statistical significance.
"Part of the problem is that the usage of the substances overlaps quite a bit," he said. Nonetheless, the
"very high odds ratio" for TCE "is impressive, and certainly mandates that large population-based
studies follow this up." Goldman will report his findings at a Toronto meeting of the American
Academy of Neurology in April.
Those who were exposed to TCE had job histories primarily as dry cleaners, machinists, mechanics or
electricians. Because the exposure estimates were not precise, Goldman said, the study needs to be
replicated. To begin with, the team is looking at larger databases, and they will most likely try to find
cohorts of people with high exposure to the chemicals to see how many have Parkinson's. "I think
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Comments (3)
This is a great article filled with specifics that can be acted upon. I had a grandfather who had
Parkinson,s on my mother's side. He died from it back in 92, I watched him waste away from the
disease, but little was known about it and little could be done. I have been concerned about it every
since because, it can be inherited. So far he is the only one known to have it. This article has given me
more insight than I have ever had about the disease. I will be watching closely for more information
and further studies. Thank you so much!
Posted by: latonyaa | February 07, 2010 at 10:47 PM
My husband worked in a dry cleaning plant around all those solvents for 32 years. At one point in time,
there were questions as to whether those solvents could have attributed to issues he was having at the
time. Now , years later, he has been diagnosed with Lewy Body Dementia with parkinson symptoms.
Now you have made me think of what other possibilities could have led to his illness. Thank you for the
article.
Posted by: Cathy | February 08, 2010 at 04:35 PM
Great. I used to swim in the stuff. Believe it or not thirty years ago they were calling it a "safety solvent"
probably because it didn't rot your brain out like methyl ethyl ketone.
Posted by: DMB | February 08, 2010 at 06:27 PM
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