Environmental and genetic risk factors in Parkinson's disease: a case-control study in southern Italy.
To clarify the role of heredity and of some environment risk factors in the etiology of idiopathic Parkinson's disease, we performed a case-control study in two regions of southern Italy, Campania and Molise. We selected two controls for each parkinsonian patient, the patient's spouse and a sex- and age-matched neurological control. One hundred sixteen consecutive outpatients with Parkinson's disease (77 men, 39 women; mean age +/- SD = 62.5 +/- 9.9) and the same number of spouses and neurological controls were interviewed about five environmental risk factors (cigarette smoking, well-water drinking, head trauma with loss of consciousness, strict diets, general anesthesia) and two genetic risk factors (family history of Parkinson's disease or of essential tremor). Well-water drinking and family history of Parkinson's disease or essential tremor showed a positive association with Parkinson's disease; smoking showed a negative association. The most relevant risk factor was history of familial Parkinson's disease (odds ratio = 14.6; 95% confidence interval = 7.2 - 29.6); 33% of our patients had at least one affected relative. We also showed a unilateral distribution of ancestral secondary cases on the paternal or on the maternal side, which suggests a dominant inheritance. Clinical and epidemiologic features of cases with familial Parkinson's disease showed no peculiarity. The study suggests a strong role of the genetic factors in the etiology of Parkinson's disease.
De Michele
G
G
Department of Neurology, Federico II University, Naples, Italy.
Filla
A
A
Volpe
G
G
De Marco
V
V
Gogliettino
A
A
Ambrosio
G
G
Marconi
R
R
Castellano
A E
AE
Campanella
G
G
D000368:Aged; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009460:Neurologic Examination / Q000187:drug effects; D016017:Odds Ratio; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000209:etiology / Q000235:genetics*; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects; D014873:Water Pollutants / Q000009:adverse effects
D014873:Water Pollutants