Evaluation of risk of Parkinson's disease in a cohort of licensed pesticide users.
In the last two years, the environmental theory on the aetiology of Parkinson disease has acquired new data. From an experimental point of view, a new model of parkinsonism induced by rotenone, a diffuse insecticide, has been proposed, and in vitro studies have provided proof that several pesticides stimulate the formation of alpha-synuclein fibrils (one of the principal constituents of Lewy bodies). Moreover, a meta-analysis of all case-control studies so far performed showed a positive, statistically significant association between pesticide exposure and PD. In this context, we are performing a cohort study on 5575 licensed pesticide users in the province of Viterbo. After 27 years of follow-up, 4788 subjects are still alive. The aim of this study is to measure the prevalence of Parkinson's disease in a large group of workers with theoretically increased risk.
Vanacore
N
N
Department of Neurological Sciences, La Sapienza University, Viale dell'Università 30, I-00185 Rome, Italy.
Nappo
A
A
Gentile
M
M
Brustolin
A
A
Palange
S
S
Liberati
A
A
Di Rezze
S
S
Caldora
G
G
Gasparini
M
M
Benedetti
F
F
Bonifati
V
V
Forastiere
F
F
Quercia
A
A
Meco
G
G
D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D010302:Parkinson Disease, Secondary / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D010575:Pesticides / Q000009:adverse effects*; D015995:Prevalence
D010575:Pesticides