Genetic and environmental risk factors for Parkinson’s disease in a Chinese population
- D K Y Chana,
- J Woob,
- S C Hoc,
- C P Pangd,
- L K Lawd,
- P W Nge,
- W T Hungf,
- T Kwokb,
- E Huig,
- K Orrg,
- M F Leunge,
- R Kayb
- aDepartment of Geriatric Medicine, Prince of Wales and Prince Henry Hospitals, Randwick, NSW 2031, Australia, bDepartment of Medicine, cDepartment of Community and Family Medicine, dDepartment of Chemical Pathology, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, eUnited Christian Hospital, Hong Kong, fFAR, School of Mathematical Sciences, University of Technology, Sydney, Broadway, NSW, Australia, gShatin Hospital, Hong Kong
- Dr DKY Chan, Department of Geriatric Medicine, Parkes Block 2 East, Prince of Wales Hospital, High Street, Randwick, NSW 2031, Australia.
- Received 18 April 1997
- Revised 26 May 1998
- Accepted 26 May 1998
Abstract
An epidemiological study of the environmental and genetic factors as well as the possible interplay between them was conducted among 215 patients with Parkinson’s disease and 313 controls in a Chinese population in Hong Kong. In univariate analysis, a regular tea drinking habit was found to be a protective factor, which had not been reported before. Smoking (a protective factor), family history, duration of pesticide exposure (in years) in farming and pesticide exposure during farming in women (both risk factors) have been reported previously. In multivariate analysis, current smoking reached borderline significance at the 5% level and the variables, years exposed to pesticides and family history were significant at the 10% level. By contrast with the common occurrence of polymorphism of the CYP2D6 gene (a gene involved with xenobiotic metabolism) in white people, it is very rare in China and is not thought to be a significant factor contributing to Parkinson’s disease in Chinese people.
