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Reduced uptake of [¹⁸F]FDOPA PET in asymptomatic welders with occupational manganese exposure.
- Source :
-
Neurology [Neurology] 2011 Apr 12; Vol. 76 (15), pp. 1296-301. Date of Electronic Publication: 2011 Apr 06. - Publication Year :
- 2011
-
Abstract
- Background: Welding exposes workers to manganese (Mn) fumes, but it is unclear if this exposure damages dopaminergic neurons in the basal ganglia and predisposes individuals to develop parkinsonism. PET imaging with 6-[(18)F]fluoro-l-dopa (FDOPA) is a noninvasive measure of nigrostriatal dopaminergic neuron integrity. The purpose of this study is to determine whether welding exposure is associated with damage to nigrostriatal neurons in asymptomatic workers.<br />Methods: We imaged 20 asymptomatic welders exposed to Mn fumes, 20 subjects with idiopathic Parkinson disease (IPD), and 20 normal controls using FDOPA PET. All subjects were examined by a movement disorders specialist. Basal ganglia volumes of interest were identified for each subject. The specific uptake of FDOPA, K(i), was generated for each region using graphical analysis method.<br />Results: Repeated measures general linear model (GLM) analysis demonstrated a strong interaction between diagnostic group and region (F(4,112) = 15.36, p < 0.001). Caudate K(i)s were lower in asymptomatic welders (0.0098 + 0.0013 minutes(-1)) compared to control subjects (0.0111 + 0.0012 minutes(-1), p = 0.002). The regional pattern of uptake in welders was most affected in the caudate > anterior putamen > posterior putamen. This uptake pattern was anatomically reversed from the pattern found in subjects with IPD.<br />Conclusions: Active, asymptomatic welders with Mn exposure demonstrate reduced FDOPA PET uptake indicating dysfunction in the nigrostriatal dopamine system. The caudate K(i) reduction in welders may represent an early (asymptomatic) marker of Mn neurotoxicity and appears to be distinct from the pattern of dysfunction found in symptomatic IPD.
- Subjects :
- Adult
Aged
Corpus Striatum diagnostic imaging
Corpus Striatum metabolism
Dihydroxyphenylalanine pharmacokinetics
Female
Fluorine Radioisotopes
Humans
Linear Models
Male
Middle Aged
Parkinson Disease diagnostic imaging
Parkinson Disease metabolism
Putamen diagnostic imaging
Putamen metabolism
Substantia Nigra diagnostic imaging
Substantia Nigra metabolism
Dihydroxyphenylalanine analogs & derivatives
Manganese Poisoning diagnostic imaging
Occupational Exposure
Positron-Emission Tomography
Welding
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 1526-632X
- Volume :
- 76
- Issue :
- 15
- Database :
- MEDLINE
- Journal :
- Neurology
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 21471467
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1212/WNL.0b013e3182152830