Occupational Exposure to Metals and Solvents and the Risk of Motor Neuron Disease

Gait, R.; Maginnis, Claire; Lewis, Sarah; Pickering, Neil; Antoniak, Marilyn; Hubbard, Richard; Lawson, Ian; Britton, John

doi:10.1159/000072925

Cited by 26 publications

(19 citation statements)

References 15 publications

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“…These occupations might be related to excessive physical activity and exposure to toxic substances 23,24 . Regarding pesticides, significant increased risk estimates were reported in two studies 25,26 .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Regarding pesticides, significant increased risk estimates were reported in two studies 25,26 . sALS risk was associated to the exposure to cleaning solvents or degreasers, alcohols or ketones, insecticides, fertilizers, selenium, as well as for occupations potentially exposed to solvents or pesticides (farm-related occupations) 24,27 . To assess the potential value of these findings, they should be replicated in other studies.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Epidemiology of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients in a centre in Buenos Aires

Bettini

Gargiulo-Monachelli

Rodríguez

et al. 2011

Arq. Neuro-Psiquiatr.

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Sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (sALS) is considered a multifactorial disease with genetic and environmental factors causing motor neuron degeneration. Objective: To describe the epidemiological and occupational characteristics of patients with sALS who attended the Ramos Mejía Hospital at Buenos Aires, Argentina. Method: We analyzed the medical records of sALS patients diagnosed between 2001 and 2008. All occupations were coded according to the International Standard Classification of Occupation (ISCO). Results: 187 patients were assessed, 38.5% were women and 61.5% men. Mean age at diagnosis was 55 years. 16% of them came from rural areas; 68% of the studied population had no health insurance. 40% were employed in elementary occupations, 19 were technicians and 8 handicraftsmen. Conclusion: The most represented profession was elementary occupation. A large proportion of patients came from rural areas, which might suggest an increased risk of environmental exposure to an unknown agent in those regions.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Epidemiology of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients in a centre in Buenos Aires

Bettini

Gargiulo-Monachelli

Rodríguez

et al. 2011

Arq. Neuro-Psiquiatr.

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“…Since the 1970s, most studies have reported an association between exposure to metals, such as lead, mercury or others, and risk of ALS [10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17], although others have failed to find a statistically significantly increased risk of disease [18,19]. The relationship between exposure to pesticides, agricultural occupations and residing in a rural area and risk of ALS has been inconsistent as only about half of the epidemiologic studies, including two meta-analyses, have found an association [14,20,21,22,23,24,25].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Environmental and Occupational Risk Factors for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: A Case-Control Study

Malek

Barchowsky²,

Bowser

et al. 2013

Neurodegener Dis

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Background/Aims: Environmental and occupational exposures are implicated as risk factors for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), the etiology of which is largely unknown, although no causal relationships have been established. Objective: The aim of the study was to evaluate the associations of personal risk factors and self-reported environmental and occupational exposures with risk of ALS. Methods: The cases involved ALS patients (n = 66) identified from major neurological centers in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, Pa., USA, from 2008 to 2010. The age-, race- and sex-matched controls included outpatient hospital and population-based controls (n = 66). A detailed questionnaire obtaining data on occupation, vocational and avocational exposure as well as personal lifestyle factors was administered. Results: Occupational exposure to metals (odds ratio, OR = 3.65; 95% CI: 1.15, 11.60) and pesticides (OR = 6.50; 95% CI: 1.78, 23.77) was related to increased risk of ALS after controlling for smoking and education. No associations were found for occupational exposure to organic or aromatic solvents. Conclusion: Workers exposed to metals and pesticides may be at greater risk of ALS. Future research should involve more accurate exposure assessment through the use of job exposure matrices, confirmation of occupation and biomarkers.

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“…The toxic agents most frequently reported, as potentially responsible, are metals (particularly lead, mercury and selenium) [14,15,16,17], solvents [18,19], pesticides [20,21,22,23,24,25] and electric shocks [26,27,28].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Geographic distribution of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis through motor neuron disease mortality data

Uccelli

Binazzi²,

Altavista

et al. 2007

Eur J Epidemiol

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Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a rare and devastating neurological disorder of the adult age with a prognosis of about 2-3 years from the onset of the disease. No clear cause has been identified but it seems to be a multifactorial disease with genetic and environmental components involved. Increments of mortality rates were observed since 1980 both in Italy and in many other countries. The objective of the present study is to describe the distribution of ALS mortality in Italy in the period 1980-2001 detecting single municipalities or clusters with high mortality levels for motor neuron disease (MND). ALS represents the main part (85%) of the MND group which is globally identified by the IX ICD (International Classification of Diseases and Causes of Death) 335.2 code. Death numbers and standardized mortality ratios (SMR) for MND were calculated for all Italian municipalities through the ENEA mortality database system (data source: National Institute of Statistics-ISTAT), using national mortality rates as reference. Subsequently, in order to detect municipal clusters, spatial analysis was performed. Out of the 8,099 Italian municipalities, 132 where characterized by SMR values higher than expected. Moreover 16 clusters with significant high relative risk values (RR) were identified, 12 out of them including only a single municipality. Only 22 of the municipalities with high SMR were included in the clusters. In conclusion, the two different epidemiological methodologies demonstrated to be widely complementary in detecting the geographical distribution of the disease in terms of risk for populations. A first selection of the priority areas where analytical studies should be carried on, in order to identify risk factors associated to ALS, is tentatively suggested.

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Occupational Exposure to Metals and Solvents and the Risk of Motor Neuron Disease

Cited by 26 publications

References 15 publications

Epidemiology of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients in a centre in Buenos Aires

Epidemiology of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients in a centre in Buenos Aires

Environmental and Occupational Risk Factors for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: A Case-Control Study

Geographic distribution of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis through motor neuron disease mortality data

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