TCE exposure could lead to Parkinson's disease

A breakthrough into the cause of Parkinson's disease has been made by a global team of scientists.

Teams from the US, Canada, Germany and Argentina have found a significant link between exposure to trichloroethylene (TCE) - a hazardous organic contaminant found in soil, groundwater, and air – and the disease.

Led by Drs Samuel Goldman and Caroline Tanner, the epidemiological study involved interviewing 99 twin pairs from the National Academy of Sciences/National Research Council World War II Veteran Twins Cohort in which one twin had Parkinson's disease and one did not.

The team found that exposure to TCE, which is commonly used in dry-cleaning solutions, adhesives, paints, and carpet cleaners, could increase the risk of Parkinson's by as much as six times.

"Our findings, as well as prior case reports, suggest a lag time of up to 40 years between TCE exposure and onset of PD, providing a critical window of opportunity to potentially slow the disease process before clinical symptoms appear," said Dr Goldman.

Posted by Fiona Griffiths