Elan D Louis1,2,3, Eina H Eliasen4, Monica Ferrer5, Daniella Iglesias Hernandez5, Shahin Gaini6,7,8, Wendy Jiang9, Wei Zheng9, Flemming Nielsen10, Maria Skaalum Petersen4,6. 1. Department of Neurology, Yale School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA, elan.louis@yale.edu. 2. Department of Chronic Disease Epidemiology, Yale School of Public Health, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA, elan.louis@yale.edu. 3. Center for Neuroepidemiology and Clinical Neurological Research, Yale School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA, elan.louis@yale.edu. 4. Department of Occupational Medicine and Public Health, The Faroese Hospital System, Tórshavn, Faeroe Islands. 5. Department of Neurology, Yale School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA. 6. Centre for Health Science, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Faroe Islands, Tórshavn, Faeroe Islands. 7. Infectious Diseases Division, National Hospital Faroe Islands, Tórshavn, Faeroe Islands. 8. Department of Infectious Diseases, Odense University Hospital/University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark. 9. Purdue University School of Health Sciences, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA. 10. Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Essential tremor (ET) is among the most prevalent neurological diseases. Its environmental determinants are poorly understood. Harmane (1-methyl-9H-pyrido[3, 4-b]indole), a dietary tremor-producing neurotoxin, has been linked to ET in a few studies in New York and Madrid. Mercury, also a tremor-producing neurotoxin, has not been studied in ET. The Faroe Islands have been the focus of epidemiological investigations of numerous neurological disorders. OBJECTIVE: In this population-based, case-control study, we directly measured blood harmane concentrations (HA) and blood mercury concentrations (Hg) in ET cases and controls. METHODS: In total, 1,328 Faroese adults were screened; 26 ET cases were identified whose (HA) and (Hg) were compared to 197 controls. RESULTS: Although there were no statistically significant differences between diagnostic groups, median (HA) was 2.7× higher in definite ET (4.13 g-10/mL) and 1.5× higher in probable ET (2.28 g-10/mL) than controls (1.53 g-10/mL). Small sample size was a limitation. For definite ET versus controls, p = 0.126. (Hg) were similar between groups. CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrated marginally elevated (HA) in definite and probable ET. These data are similar to those previously published and possibly extend etiological links between this neurotoxin and ET to a third locale. The study did not support a link between mercury and ET.
BACKGROUND:Essential tremor (ET) is among the most prevalent neurological diseases. Its environmental determinants are poorly understood. Harmane (1-methyl-9H-pyrido[3, 4-b]indole), a dietary tremor-producing neurotoxin, has been linked to ET in a few studies in New York and Madrid. Mercury, also a tremor-producing neurotoxin, has not been studied in ET. The Faroe Islands have been the focus of epidemiological investigations of numerous neurological disorders. OBJECTIVE: In this population-based, case-control study, we directly measured blood harmane concentrations (HA) and blood mercury concentrations (Hg) in ET cases and controls. METHODS: In total, 1,328 Faroese adults were screened; 26 ET cases were identified whose (HA) and (Hg) were compared to 197 controls. RESULTS: Although there were no statistically significant differences between diagnostic groups, median (HA) was 2.7× higher in definite ET (4.13 g-10/mL) and 1.5× higher in probable ET (2.28 g-10/mL) than controls (1.53 g-10/mL). Small sample size was a limitation. For definite ET versus controls, p = 0.126. (Hg) were similar between groups. CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrated marginally elevated (HA) in definite and probable ET. These data are similar to those previously published and possibly extend etiological links between this neurotoxin and ET to a third locale. The study did not support a link between mercury and ET.
Authors: M Farrer; K Gwinn-Hardy; M Muenter; F W DeVrieze; R Crook; J Perez-Tur; S Lincoln; D Maraganore; C Adler; S Newman; K MacElwee; P McCarthy; C Miller; C Waters; J Hardy Journal: Hum Mol Genet Date: 1999-01 Impact factor: 6.150
Authors: Félix Javier Jiménez-Jiménez; Hortensia Alonso-Navarro; Elena García-Martín; Ignacio Álvarez; Pau Pastor; José A G Agúndez Journal: Pharmaceuticals (Basel) Date: 2021-05-27
Authors: Monica Ferrer; Eina H Eliasen; Maria Skaalum Petersen; Wendy Jiang; Wei Zheng; Elan D Louis Journal: Tremor Other Hyperkinet Mov (N Y) Date: 2020-08-14