Objective: To evaluate the influence of environmental factors on the age at onset of Parkinson’s disease in LRRK2 G2019S carriers.

Background: Environmental and lifestyle factors contribute to the risk for sporadic Parkinson’s disease (PD), and may also modify age at onset (AAO). PD that is associated with the Gly2019Ser (G2019S) mutation of the LRRK2 gene, a common mutation in the Ashkenazi Jewish (AJ) population, represents a homogeneous subgroup that may serve a good platform to assess the contribution of environmental factors to age at onset (AAO) of PD. Based on previous epidemiological studies, we hypothesized that mutation carriers exposed to certain known PD risk factors will have earlier AAO compared to those that were not exposed, while opposite direction may be found for PD protective factors.

Methods: PD patients carrying the LRRK2 G2019S mutation were matched (1:1 ratio, regarding gender and year of birth) to PD patients who were negative for this mutation, and all completed an interviewer-administered lifestyle and environmental exposure questionnaire, addressing smoking habits, coffee, tea and alcohol consumption, history of head trauma (with or without loss of consciousness) and rural residence during lifetime.

Results: The sample included 84 Israeli AJ LRRK2 PD patients positive for the G2019S mutation (females: 48.8%; AAO: 58.8 ± 8.8 years) and 84 matched AJ PD controls (AAO: 60.6 ± 6.4 years). Controlling for gender and year of birth, we did not find any interaction between mutation carrier status and environmental exposures with AAO. Lack of effect was also observed when analysis was performed separately for LRRK2-positive and negative patients.

Conclusions: While LRRK2-associated PD renders unique opportunity to assess interaction between genetic and environmental factors, in this exploratory study, we did not find an effect of any of the environmental factors examined on AAO among PD patients, neither LRRK2 mutation carriers nor controls. This may be explained by the small sample size.

At the Israeli Neurological Association Congress; December 15-16, 2015.

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MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/do-environmental-factors-influence-the-age-at-onset-of-parkinsons-disease-in-lrrk2-g2019s-carriers/