Introduction: Mercury is a neurotoxic metal that is potentially a risk factor for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Consumption of methylmercury contaminated fish is the primary source of US population exposure to mercury.
Methods: We used inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry to measure levels of mercury in toenail samples from patients with ALS (n = 46) and from controls (n = 66) as a biomarker of mercury exposure.
Results: Patients with ALS had higher toenail mercury levels (odds ratio 2.49, 95% confidence interval 1.18-5.80, P = 0.024) compared with controls, adjusted for age and sex. We also estimated the amount of mercury consumed from finfish and shellfish and found toenail mercury levels elevated overall among patients with ALS and controls in the top quartile for consumption (P = 0.018).
Discussion: Biomarker data show that ALS is associated with increased with mercury levels, which were related to estimated methylmercury intake via fish. Replication of these associations in additional populations is warranted. Muscle Nerve, 2018.
Keywords: amyotrophic lateral sclerosis; case-control studies; fish; mercury; methylmercury; neuromuscular disease; toenail; toxicology.
© 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.