Organochlorine compounds in human brain.
Having observed polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in brain tissue obtained post mortem from two men we have carried out a study of organochlorine compounds in frontal cortex from patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) and from controls. No PCBs were found in any of those samples. There was no difference in the concentration of the DDT metabolite pp'-DDE in the PD brain samples. Dieldrin (HEOD) was significantly decreased in PD brain when analysed by lipid weight. While these findings would not support the hypothesis that PCBs may contribute to the development of Parkinson's disease in humans it remains possible that they may cause damage to the basal ganglia before being displaced from brain tissue.
Corrigan
F M
FM
Argyll and Bute Hospital, Scotland.
French
M
M
Murray
L
L
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001923:Brain Chemistry / Q000187:drug effects*; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000737:chemistry; D003634:DDT / Q000032:analysis; D004026:Dieldrin / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000209:etiology; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls / Q000032:analysis*
D003634:DDT; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls; D004026:Dieldrin