Airborne Pollutants as Triggers of Parkinson's Disease via the Olfactory System
Abstract
In this multidisciplinary project, we proposed to examine the central hypothesis that ambient air pollutants contribute to Parkinson's disease (PD) development by initiating and/or exacerbating alpha-synuclein pathology at olfactory structures via inflammation. In the epidemiologic arm, we plan to investigate 1) the effect of long-term exposure to air pollutants on olfactory impairment (OI); 2) whether early PD pathogenesis is exacerbated by ambient air pollutants; and 3) whether lifetime use of ibuprofen modifies potential adverse effects of air pollutants on OI. The project will leverage ten years of extensive data collection on environmental exposures, medical history, and bio specimen from the well-established Sister Study of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS). Importantly, we proposed to objectively evaluate the sense of smell of approximately 3,400 Sister Study participants, using the brief smell identification test, efficiently administered by mail. We completed field data collection in March 2019. Of the 4,020 eligible participants, 3,535 (87.9%) have provided some data, and 3,431 (85.3%) returned the smell test kit. To date, we have received non-genetic data from our field team at NIEHS. The genotyping was completed in 2020 by our collaborators at the National Institute on Aging, and we are working with them to resolve a few data issues. We are currently analyzing the non-genetic data to define and characterize the outcome of OI in our study population, and to examine the associations of OI with air pollutants (Aim 5) and the use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (Aim 7).
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Oct 01, 2021
- Accession Number
- AD1156082
Entities
People
- Honglei Chen
Organizations
- Michigan State University