Alejandra Camacho-Soto1, Irene Faust2, Brad A Racette2,3, David B Clifford2, Harvey Checkoway4,5, Susan Searles Nielsen2. 1. Department of Neurology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA, acamacho-soto@wustl.edu. 2. Department of Neurology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA. 3. School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Parktown, South Africa. 4. Department of Family Medicine and Public Health, University of California, San Diego, California, USA. 5. Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, California, USA.
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Herpesviruses might play a role in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative disorders. We sought to examine a possible association between alpha herpesvirus infections and Parkinson's disease. METHODS: We conducted a population-based case-control study of incident Parkinson's disease in 2009 Medicare beneficiaries age 66-90 years (89,790 cases, 118,095 randomly selected comparable controls). We classified beneficiaries with any diagnosis code for "herpes simplex" and/or "herpes zoster" in the previous 5 years as having had the respective alpha herpesviruses. In beneficiaries with Part D prescription coverage, we also identified those prescribed anti-herpetic medications. We calculated odds ratios (OR) and 95% CI between alpha herpesvirus diagnosis/treatment and Parkinson's disease with logistic regression, with adjustment for age, sex, race/ethnicity, smoking, and use of medical care. RESULTS: Parkinson's disease risk was inversely associated with herpes simplex (OR 0.79, 95% CI 0.74-0.84), herpes zoster (OR 0.88, 95% CI 0.85-0.91), and anti-herpetic medications (OR 0.87, 95% CI 0.80-0.96). CONCLUSION: Herpesvirus infection or treatment might reduce risk of Parkinson's disease, but future studies will be required to explore whether this inverse association is causal.
INTRODUCTION: Herpesviruses might play a role in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative disorders. We sought to examine a possible association between alpha herpesvirus infections and Parkinson's disease. METHODS: We conducted a population-based case-control study of incident Parkinson's disease in 2009 Medicare beneficiaries age 66-90 years (89,790 cases, 118,095 randomly selected comparable controls). We classified beneficiaries with any diagnosis code for "herpes simplex" and/or "herpes zoster" in the previous 5 years as having had the respective alpha herpesviruses. In beneficiaries with Part D prescription coverage, we also identified those prescribed anti-herpetic medications. We calculated odds ratios (OR) and 95% CI between alpha herpesvirus diagnosis/treatment and Parkinson's disease with logistic regression, with adjustment for age, sex, race/ethnicity, smoking, and use of medical care. RESULTS: Parkinson's disease risk was inversely associated with herpes simplex (OR 0.79, 95% CI 0.74-0.84), herpes zoster (OR 0.88, 95% CI 0.85-0.91), and anti-herpetic medications (OR 0.87, 95% CI 0.80-0.96). CONCLUSION: Herpesvirus infection or treatment might reduce risk of Parkinson's disease, but future studies will be required to explore whether this inverse association is causal.
Authors: Alejandra Camacho-Soto; Mark N Warden; Susan Searles Nielsen; Amber Salter; David L Brody; Heidi Prather; Brad A Racette Journal: Ann Neurol Date: 2017-10-31 Impact factor: 10.422
Authors: Brad A Racette; Anat Gross; Scott Martin Vouri; Alejandra Camacho-Soto; Allison W Willis; Susan Searles Nielsen Journal: Ann Clin Transl Neurol Date: 2018-05-31 Impact factor: 4.511