High plasma concentrations of organic pollutants negatively impact survival in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

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Affiliates	Stephen A Goutman [1,2] Jonathan Boss [3], Adam Patterson [1,2], Bhramar Mukherjee [3], Stuart Batterman [4], Eva L Feldman [1,2] [1] Department of Neurology, University of Michigan [2] Program for Neurology, Research and Discovery, University of Michigan [3] Department of Biostatistics, University of Michigan [4] Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University of Michigan
Journal	Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry
Summary	Persistent organic pollutants (POP) are a suspected risk factor for ALS. This study sought to determine whether POPs affect ALS survival. ALS participants seen at the University of Michigan provided plasma samples for extent of POPs. Survival models assessed exposure to POPs and survival length. Higher levels of POPs in plasma are related with shorter ALS survival, independent of age, gender, onset type, and other factors. This study helps describe and quantify the combined effects of POPs on ALS and supports the concept that environmental exposures play a role in disease development.
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