Whooping cough and Parkinson's disease. The Europarkinson Preparatory Activity Research Group.
BACKGROUND
We reported high levodopa use and prevalences of Parkinson's Disease (PD) in periodically, time-clustered, icelandic cohorts born after major whooping cough epidemics (MWCE).


METHODS
In order to quantify a possible relationship between age at first post-birth MWCE and risk of PD we: 1) calculated cumulative incidences of PD during the period 1954-1963 in one-year Icelandic cohorts born between 1869 and 1927, using raw material from a reported survey; 2) identified MWCE from 1869 onwards in Iceland; 3) estimated cohort ages at onset of incidence period and at first MWCE; and 4) combined the above-mentioned information using log-linear models. In addition, we studied the prevalence of levodopa users in Icelandic birth cohorts during a recent period.


RESULTS
The curves of the above-mentioned incidences and prevalences in one-year birth-cohorts showed: 1) a similar, age-related, inverted V profile; and 2) a systematic notchy pattern, with peak values for one or both measurements for cohorts born during or after each of nine MWCE identified during the period 1869-1927. When 13 cohorts born in years with MWCE were excluded from the analysis, the risk of PD rose with age at first defined MWCE, with the linear increase being 8.4% per year (95% CI: -0.1-18.3%).


CONCLUSIONS
These results are consistent with reported effects of age at exposure in animal models of toxic parkinsonism, age-related changes in the dopamine receptor-GPT-binding protein-adenylatecyclase system observed in rats treated with pertussis toxin, and some PD epidemiological features. They suggest that pertussis neurotoxicity could be casually treated to PD worldwide.
de Pedro-Cuesta
J
J
Department of Applied Epidemiology, National Care for Epidemiology, Carlos III Institute of Health, Madrid, Spain.
Gudmundsson
G
G
Abraira
V
V
Gudmundsson
G
G
Löve
A
A
Tulinius
H
H
Veiga
J
J
Almazán
J
J
Petersen
I J
IJ
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017668:Age of Onset; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D006801:Humans; D007055:Iceland / Q000453:epidemiology; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007980:Levodopa / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008875:Middle Aged; D010302:Parkinson Disease, Secondary / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D014917:Whooping Cough / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology*
D007980:Levodopa