NEW YORK September 12, 2000 (Reuters Health) - On-the-job exposure to petroleum-based hydrocarbon solvents, such as paints and glues, may result in the development of early-onset Parkinson's disease (PD) symptoms as well as a more severe disease course, Italian researchers report in the September issue of the journal Neurology.
"Exposure to hydrocarbon-containing solvents was detected in nearly 20% of all patients with PD in our center," according to lead author Dr. G. Pezzoli of the Istituti Clinici di Perfezionamento in Milan, and colleagues. "The percentage increased to 30% in men, a finding to be expected in our industrial area where men predominate among the laborers with occupations at risk."
The researchers examined the case histories of 1,455 patients who visited their clinic with symptoms of Parkinson's disease. Of this group, 188 patients had documented exposures to hydrocarbon solvents. This group was compared with an unexposed subset of individuals from the original group. "Exposure to hydrocarbon solvents directly correlated to disease severity," Pezzoli and colleagues write. Moreover, the earlier the symptoms appeared, the greater the disease severity, the investigators found.
Occupations that expose workers to solvents on a regular basis included petroleum, plastic and rubber workers; engine mechanics; painters; furniture, leather and textile workers; and typographers. The study authors explain that over 90% of exposures could be tied to these and related occupations. Millions of workers are exposed to solvents on a daily basis, according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Health hazards associated with solvent exposure include toxicity to the nervous system, reproductive damage, liver and kidney damage, respiratory impairment, cancer, and dermatitis.
An estimated 1.5 million Americans have Parkinson's disease, which is characterized by tremors, slowness of movements and a shuffling gait. It is caused by the degeneration of special brain cells resulting in the loss of the neurotransmitter, dopamine.
The disease is usually treated with levodopa, a drug that increases brain dopamine levels.