Environmental Chemicals Linked to Parkinson’s Disease in Urban Areas

‘More Substantial’ Data Adds to Previous Evidence

The new study is an important addition to the literature examining TCE exposure and Parkinson’s disease, according to session moderator Jeff Bronstein, MD, PhD, who was asked for comment. “It’s more substantial data making that association between TCE and Parkinson’s. It’s been growing over the past decade, and this is a more objective, big data association, so it adds more strength to the body of knowledge that we already have. It’s unbiased, which is nice,” said Dr. Bronstein, professor of neurology and director of movement disorders at UCLA.

It remains uncertain whether TCE is a direct cause of Parkinson’s disease, but “a lot of us believe it’s causal. There’s a lot of evidence now. There are some very good studies with inhalation models that show it affects autophagy, or the way we break down proteins, and that it also involves LRRK2 [leucine-rich repeat kinase 2], which is one of the proteins involved in some of the genetic forms [of Parkinson’s disease], and it might affect mitochondria. They’re all linked in network and right now the animal studies point to that network,” said Dr. Bronstein.

Dr. Krzyzanowski has no relevant financial disclosures. Dr. Bronstein consults for a legal firm involved in the Camp Lejeune litigation.