Elevated serum pesticide levels and risk of Parkinson disease.
BACKGROUND
Exposure to pesticides has been reported to increase the risk of Parkinson disease (PD), but identification of the specific pesticides is lacking. Three studies have found elevated levels of organochlorine pesticides in postmortem PD brains.


OBJECTIVE
To determine whether elevated levels of organochlorine pesticides are present in the serum of patients with PD.


METHODS
Case-control study.


METHODS
An academic medical center.


METHODS
Fifty patients with PD, 43 controls, and 20 patients with Alzheimer disease.


METHODS
Levels of 16 organochlorine pesticides in serum samples.


RESULTS
beta-Hexachlorocyclohexane (beta-HCH) was more often detectable in patients with PD (76%) compared with controls (40%) and patients with Alzheimer disease (30%). The median level of beta-HCH was higher in patients with PD compared with controls and patients with Alzheimer disease. There were no marked differences in detection between controls and patients with PD concerning any of the other 15 organochlorine pesticides. Finally, we observed a significant odds ratio for the presence of beta-HCH in serum to predict a diagnosis of PD vs control (odds ratio, 4.39; 95% confidence interval, 1.67-11.6) and PD vs Alzheimer disease (odds ratio, 5.20), which provides further evidence for the apparent association between serum beta-HCH and PD.


CONCLUSIONS
These data suggest that beta-HCH is associated with a diagnosis of PD. Further research is warranted regarding the potential role of beta-HCH as a etiologic agent for some cases of PD.
Richardson
Jason R
JR
Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA. jricha3@eohsi.rutgers.edu
Shalat
Stuart L
SL
Buckley
Brian
B
Winnik
Bozena
B
O'Suilleabhain
Padraig
P
Diaz-Arrastia
Ramon
R
Reisch
Joan
J
German
Dwight C
DC
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D005260:Female; D001556:Hexachlorocyclohexane / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D010575:Pesticides / Q000097:blood*; D012306:Risk
D010575:Pesticides; D001556:Hexachlorocyclohexane; C023888:beta-hexachlorocyclohexane