731
Views
121
CrossRef citations to date
0
Altmetric
ORIGINAL ARTICLE

A cluster of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in New Hampshire: A possible role for toxic cyanobacteria blooms

, , , , , , , & show all
Pages 101-108 | Received 17 Jun 2009, Accepted 20 Aug 2009, Published online: 25 Nov 2009

References

  • Boyer GL. Cyanobacterial toxins in New York and the lower Great Lakes ecosystems. Adv Exp Med Biol. 2008; 619:153–65.
  • Carmichael W. A world overview: 127 years of research on toxic cyanobacteria. Where do we go from here?. Adv Exp Med Biol. 2008; 619:105–25.
  • Ibelings BW, Havens KE. Cyanobacterial toxins: a qualitative meta-analysis of concentrations, dosage and effects in freshwater, estuarine and marine biota. Adv Exp Med Biol. 2008; 619:675–732.
  • Lefebvre KA, Bill BD, Erickson A, Baugh KA, O'Rourke L, Costa PR, . Characterization of intracellular and extra-cellular saxitoxin levels in both field and cultured Alexandrium spp. samples from Sequim Bay, Washington. Mar Drugs. 2008; 6:103–16.
  • Dietrich DR, Fischer A, Michel C, Hoeger SJ. Toxin mixture in cyanobacterial blooms: a critical comparison of reality with current procedures employed in human health risk assessment. Adv Exp Med Biol. 2008; 619:885–912.
  • Havens KE. Cyanobacteria blooms: effects on aquatic ecosystems. Adv Exp Med Biol. 2008; 619:733–47.
  • Falconer IR. Health effects associated with controlled exposures to cyanobacterial toxins. Adv Exp Med Biol. 2008; 619:607–12.
  • Banack SA, Johnson HE, Cheng R, Cox PA. Production of the neurotoxin BMAA by a marine Cyanobacterium. Mar Drugs. 2007; 5:180–96.
  • Metcalf JS, Banack SA, Lindsay J, Morrison LF, Cox PA, Codd GA. Co-occurrence of beta-N-methylamino-L-alanine, a neurotoxic amino acid with other cyanobacterial toxins in British waterbodies, 1990–2004. Environ Microbiol. 2008; 10:702–8.
  • Cox PA, Banack SA, Murch SJ, Rasmussen U, Tien G, Bidigare RR, . Diverse taxa of cyanobacteria produce beta-N-methylamino-L-alanine, a neurotoxic amino acid. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2005; 102:5074–8.
  • Carmichael WW, Azevedo SM, An JS, Molica RJ, Jochimsen EM, Lau S, . Human fatalities from cyano-bacteria: chemical and biological evidence for cyanotoxins. Environ Health Perspect. 2001; 109:663–8.
  • Jochimsen EM, Carmichael WW, An JS, Cardo DM, Cookson ST, Holmes CE, . Liver failure and death after exposure to microcystins at a hemodialysis center in Brazil. N Engl J Med. 1998; 338:873–8.
  • Rao PV, Gupta N, Bhaskar AS, Jayaraj R. Toxins and bioactive compounds from cyanobacteria and their implications on human health. J Environ Biol. 2002; 23:215–24.
  • Stewart I, Seawright AA, Shaw GR. Cyanobacterial poisoning in livestock, wild mammals and birds: an overview. Adv Exp Med Biol. 2008; 619:613–37.
  • Stewart I, Webb PM, Schluter PJ, Shaw GR. Recreational and occupational field exposure to freshwater cyanobacteria: a review of anecdotal and case reports, epidemiologic studies and the challenges for epidemiologic assessment. Environ Health. 2006; 5:6.
  • Burns J. Toxic cyanobacteria in Florida waters. Adv Exp Med Biol. 2008; 619:127–37.
  • Osborne NJ, Shaw GR, Webb PM. Health effects of recreational exposure to Moreton Bay, Australia waters during a Lyngbya majuscula bloom. Environ Int. 2007; 33:309–14.
  • Friedman MA, Levin BE. Neurobehavioral effects of harmful algal bloom (HAB) toxins: a critical review. J Int Neuropsychol Soc. 2005; 11:331–8.
  • Turner PC, Gammie AJ, Hollinrake K, Codd GA. Pneumonia associated with contact with cyanobacteria. Br Med J. 1990; 300:1440–1.
  • Conner J. Personal Communication, New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services. Concord NH. 2008.
  • Chen J, Xie P. Seasonal dynamics of the hepatotoxic microcystins in various organs of four freshwater bivalves from the large eutrophic lake Taihu of subtropical China and the risk to human consumption. Environ Toxicol. 2005; 20:572–84.
  • Pouria S, de Andrade A, Barbosa J, Cavalcanti RL, Barreto VT, Ward CJ, . Fatal microcystin intoxication in haemodialysis unit in Caruaru, Brazil. Lancet. 1998; 352:21–6.
  • Lobner D, Piana PM, Salous AK, Peoples RW. Beta-N-methylamino-L-alanine enhances neurotoxicity through multiple mechanisms. Neurobiol Dis. 2007; 25:360–6.
  • Weiss JH, Koh JY, Choi DW. Neurotoxicity of beta-N-methylamino-L-alanine (BMAA) and beta-N-oxalylamino-L-alanine (BOAA) on cultured cortical neurons. Brain Res. 1989; 497:64–71.
  • Buenz EJ, Howe CL. Beta-methylamino-alanine (BMAA) injures hippocampal neurons in vivo. Neurotoxicology. 2007; 28:702–4.
  • Rao SD, Banack SA, Cox PA, Weiss JH. BMAA selectively injures motor neurons via AMPA/kainate receptor activation. Exp Neurol. 2006; 201:244–52.
  • Banack SA, Cox PA. Biomagnification of cycad neurotoxins in flying foxes: implications for ALS/PDC in Guam. Neurology. 2003; 61:387–9.
  • Cox PA, Banack SA, Murch SJ. Biomagnification of cyano-bacterial neurotoxins and neurodegenerative disease among the Chamorro people of Guam. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2003; 100:13380–3.
  • Steele JC, McGeer PL. The ALS/PDC syndrome of Guam and the cycad hypothesis. Neurology. 2008; 70:1984–90.
  • Plato CC, Garruto RM, Fox KM, Gajdusek DC. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and Parkinsonism-dementia on Guam: a 25-year prospective case-control study. Am J Epidemiol. 1986; 124:643–56.
  • Steele JC, Guzman T. Observations about amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and the Parkinsonism-dementia complex of Guam with regard to epidemiology and etiology. Can J Neurol Sci. 1987; 14Suppl 3:358–62.
  • Papapetropoulos S. Is there a role for naturally occurring cyanobacterial toxins in neurodegeneration? The beta-N-methylamino-L-alanine (BMAA) paradigm. Neurochem Int. 2007; 50:998–1003.
  • Reed D, Labarthe D, Chen KM, Stallones R. A cohort study of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and Parkinsonism-dementia on Guam and Rota. Am J Epidemiol. 1987; 125:92–100.
  • Murch SJ, Cox PA, Banack SA, Steele JC, Sacks OW. Occurrence of beta-methylamino-l-alanine (BMAA) in ALS/PDC patients from Guam. Acta Neurol Scand. 2004; 110:267–9.
  • Camu W, Cadilhac J, Billiard M. Conjugal amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: a report on two couples from southern France. Neurology. 1994; 44:547–8.
  • Corcia P, Jafari-Schluep HF, Lardillier D, Mazyad H, Giraud P, Clavelou P, . A clustering of conjugal amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in southeastern France. Arch Neurol. 2003; 60:553–7.
  • Rachele MG, Mascia V, Tacconi P, Dessi N, Marrosu F, Giagheddu M. Conjugal amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: a report on a couple from Sardinia, Italy. Ital J Neurol Sci. 1998; 19:97–100.
  • Ronnevi L-O, BMAA and ALS in Scandinavia. 5th International Conference on BMAA; 2008 October 15, 2008; Jackson, Wyoming.
  • Pablo J, Banack SA, Cox PA, Johnson TE, Papapetropoulos S, Bradley WG, . Cyanobacterial neurotoxin BMAA in ALS and Alzheimer's disease. Acta Neurol Scand. 2009. Feb 25.
  • Cox PA, Sacks OW. Cycad neurotoxins, consumption of flying foxes, and ALS/PDC disease in Guam. Neurology. 2002; 58:956–9.
  • Mash D. Unpublished data. 2009.
  • U. S. Census 2000 (cited 2008 September); Available from: http://www.census.gov/.
  • Johnson HE, King SR, Banack SA, Webster C, Callanaupa WJ, Cox PA. Cyanobacteria (Nostoc commune) used as a dietary item in the Peruvian highlands produce the neurotoxic amino acid BMAA. J Ethnopharmacol. 2008; 118:159–65.
  • Esterhuizen M, Downing TG. Beta-N-methylamino-L-alanine (BMAA) in novel South African cyanobacterial isolates. Ecotoxicol Environ Saf. 2008; 71:309–13.
  • Wilson A, Gossiaux D, Hook T, Berry J, Landrum P, Dyble J, . Evaluation of the human health threat associated with the hepatotoxin microcystin in the muscle and liver tissues of yellow perch (Perca flavescens). Can J Fish Aquat Sci. 2008; 65:1487–97.
  • Morris JG Jr. Pfiesteria, ‘the cell from hell’, and other toxic algal nightmares. Clin Infect Dis. 1999; 28:1191–6, quiz 7–8.
  • Cheng YS, Zhou Y, Irvin CM, Kirkpatrick B, Backer LC. Characterization of aerosols containing microcystin. Marine Drugs. 2007; 5:136–50.
  • Backer LC, Carmichael W, Kirkpatrick B, Williams C, Irvin M, Zhou Y, . Recreational exposure to low concentrations of microcystins during an algal bloom in a small lake. Marine Drugs. 2008; 6:389–406.

Reprints and Corporate Permissions

Please note: Selecting permissions does not provide access to the full text of the article, please see our help page How do I view content?

To request a reprint or corporate permissions for this article, please click on the relevant link below:

Academic Permissions

Please note: Selecting permissions does not provide access to the full text of the article, please see our help page How do I view content?

Obtain permissions instantly via Rightslink by clicking on the button below:

If you are unable to obtain permissions via Rightslink, please complete and submit this Permissions form. For more information, please visit our Permissions help page.