Tetrachloroethylene exposure and risk of schizophrenia: offspring of dry cleaners in a population birth cohort, preliminary findings.
Tetrachloroethylene is a solvent used in dry cleaning with reported neurotoxic effects. Using proportional hazard methods, we examined the relationship between parental occupation as a dry cleaner and risk for schizophrenia in a prospective population-based cohort of 88,829 offspring born in Jerusalem from 1964 through 1976, followed from birth to age 21-33 years. Of 144 offspring whose parents were dry cleaners, 4 developed schizophrenia. We observed an increased incidence of schizophrenia in offspring of parents who were dry cleaners (RR=3.4, 95% CI, 1.3-9.2, p=0.01). Tetrachloroethylene exposure warrants further investigation as a risk factor for schizophrenia.
Perrin
Mary C
MC
Department of Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, New York, 10032, USA. mcp20@columbia.edu
Opler
Mark G
MG
Harlap
Susan
S
Harkavy-Friedman
Jill
J
Kleinhaus
Karine
K
Nahon
Daniella
D
Fennig
Shmuel
S
Susser
Ezra S
ES
Malaspina
Dolores
D
D000328:Adult; D032721:Adult Children / Q000523:psychology*; D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000633:toxicity*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007557:Israel; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D012997:Solvents / Q000633:toxicity*; D013750:Tetrachloroethylene / Q000633:toxicity*
D000393:Air Pollutants; D012997:Solvents; D013750:Tetrachloroethylene