Search

Background: Endotoxin, a contaminant of cotton dust, is an experimental model for parkinsonism (PS). Methods: We investigated associations between exposures to endotoxin, solvents, magnetic fields, and night shift work, and neurologist‐determined PS among Shanghai women textile workers, including 537 retired cotton factory workers ages ≥50 years and an age‐matched reference group of 286 retired textile workers not exposed to cotton dust. Repeat exams were conducted 2.5 years after enrollment among 467 cotton workers and 229 reference workers. Results: We identified 39 prevalent PS cases and 784 non‐cases. No consistent or statistically significant associations were observed for endotoxin, solvents, magnetic fields, or shift work with PS risk, severity, or progression. Conclusions: Despite the null findings, additional studies of endotoxin exposure and risk of PS in other well‐characterized occupational cohorts are warranted in view of toxicological evidence that endotoxin is a pathogenic agent and its widespread occurrence in multiple industries worldwide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: China has the largest population of Parkinson's disease (PD) patients; however few etiological studies of PD have been conducted in China.Methods: The Shanghai Women's Health Study recruited 74,941 women in urban Shanghai, aged 40 to 70, from 1996 to 2000. Self-reported PD cases were invited for a neurological examination and diagnoses were made by a movement disorder specialist.Results: This cohort had very few smokers (2.7%), alcohol drinkers (2.3%), and post-menopausal hormone users (4.3%); however, tea drinking (29.9%) and exposure to tobacco smoke from husbands (61.8%) were common. A total of 301 participants reported PD diagnosis during the follow-up. The diagnosis was confirmed in 76 (57%) of the 133 clinically examined patients. An additional 19 (53%) PD cases were identified out of 36 participants who self-confirmed the diagnosis and provided a history on PD symptoms and treatments. As expected, increasing age was strongly associated with PD risk. Further, PD risk appears to be inversely associated with exposures to second-hand tobacco smoke from husbands and tea drinking, and positively with education, although none of these reached statistical significance. The age-adjusted odds ratio (OR) was 0.7 (95% confidence interval: 0.4-1.1) for participants whose husbands were current smokers at baseline and 0.8 (0.5-1.3) for ever tea-drinkers. Compared with primary education or lower, the age-adjusted OR was 1.3 (0.7-2.4) for middle school and 1.6 (1.0-2.7) for high school or above.Conclusion: PD research in this unique cohort is feasible and, with extended follow-up, will allow for prospective PD etiological research in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]