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Industrial solvent linked to increased risk ofParkinson's diseaseFebruary 7, 2010 | 4:13 pm

Exposure to the industrial solvent trichloroethylene increases a person's risk of developing Parkinson's

disease nearly sixfold, California researchers said Sunday. Animal studies had suggested a potential

problem with the solvent, but the new study by Dr. Samuel Goldman of the Parkinson's Institute in

Sunnyvale is the first to quantify the risk.

Parkinson's disease, caused by the death of cells in the brain that secrete the neurotransmitter

dopamine, is characterized by severe tremors, rigidity in the limbs and other symptoms. It strikes an

estimated 100,000 Americans each year and is ultimately fatal. Genetics play a role in susceptibility to

Parkinson's, but it has also been linked to head trauma, pesticides and illicit drugs.

Trichloroethylene, or TCE, is a solvent that was once widely used in dry cleaning and to clean grease

off metal parts, and it was once used as an anesthetic, especially during childbirth. But concerns about

its toxicity led to it being mostly abandoned and replaced by other anesthetics and solvents. There

have been at least three reports of clusters of Parkinson's among workers exposed to TCE. Animal

experiments following those reports showed that the chemical kills dopamine-producing cells in

substantia nigra, the part of the brain affected in Parkinson's disease. It also impairs mitochondria --

the power sources of brain and other cells -- in the same locations that are affected by the illicit

chemical MTPT, which is known to cause Parkinson's. "There's a lot of circumstantial evidence to

show that it is relevant," Goldman said in an interview.

Goldman and his colleagues identified 99 sets of twins from the World War II Veteran Twins Cohort in

which one twin had Parkinson's and the other didn't. They collected job histories for each subject and

then had them analyzed blindly by an industrial hygienist and a preventive medicine specialist to

assess exposure to occupational chemicals.

Goldman and his team found that exposure to the chemicals xylene, toluene and n-hexane was not

associated with an increased risk of Parkinson's. Those exposed to TCE, however, were 5.5 times as

likely to develop the disease as those who were not exposed. Those exposed to either TCE or

tetrachloroethylene, known as PERC, had eight times the risk. Those exposed to carbon tetrachloride

had 2.8 times the risk, and those exposed to PERC had nine times the risk; in both cases, however, the

results fell short of statistical significance.

"Part of the problem is that the usage of the substances overlaps quite a bit," he said. Nonetheless, the

"very high odds ratio" for TCE "is impressive, and certainly mandates that large population-based

studies follow this up." Goldman will report his findings at a Toronto meeting of the American

Academy of Neurology in April.

Those who were exposed to TCE had job histories primarily as dry cleaners, machinists, mechanics or

electricians. Because the exposure estimates were not precise, Goldman said, the study needs to be

replicated. To begin with, the team is looking at larger databases, and they will most likely try to find

cohorts of people with high exposure to the chemicals to see how many have Parkinson's. "I think

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people will really move on this as quickly as possible now," he concluded.

-- Thomas H. Maugh II

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2 of 4 2/8/2010 7:56 PM

Comments (3)

This is a great article filled with specifics that can be acted upon. I had a grandfather who had

Parkinson,s on my mother's side. He died from it back in 92, I watched him waste away from the

disease, but little was known about it and little could be done. I have been concerned about it every

since because, it can be inherited. So far he is the only one known to have it. This article has given me

more insight than I have ever had about the disease. I will be watching closely for more information

and further studies. Thank you so much!

Posted by: latonyaa | February 07, 2010 at 10:47 PM

My husband worked in a dry cleaning plant around all those solvents for 32 years. At one point in time,

there were questions as to whether those solvents could have attributed to issues he was having at the

time. Now , years later, he has been diagnosed with Lewy Body Dementia with parkinson symptoms.

Now you have made me think of what other possibilities could have led to his illness. Thank you for the

article.

Posted by: Cathy | February 08, 2010 at 04:35 PM

Great. I used to swim in the stuff. Believe it or not thirty years ago they were calling it a "safety solvent"

probably because it didn't rot your brain out like methyl ethyl ketone.

Posted by: DMB | February 08, 2010 at 06:27 PM

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industrial solvent linked t

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