Department of Biology and Environmental Science, Linnaeus University, Kalmar, Sweden.
Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, SE-171 77 Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Clinical Physiology, St.Göran Hospital, 112 81 Stockholm, Sweden.
Sci Total Environ. 2022 Oct 1;841:156672. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.156672. Epub 2022 Jun 12.
Multiple sclerosis (MS) affects some 3 million people around the world and the prevalence is increasing. The MS incidence increases with distance from the equator forming a north-to-south gradient. The cause of this gradient and the cause of MS in general are largely unknown. Sulphide-bearing marine and lake sediments, when exposed to oxygen after drainage, form sulphuric acid resulting in the development of acid sulphate soils. From these soils major neurotoxic metals such as iron, aluminum and manganese and trace metals such as nickel, copper and cadmium are released into the surrounding environment. As these soils are largely used for farming, obvious routes to human metal exposure exist. Here we compare the distribution of acid sulphate soils in Finland to the geographic localisation of MS cases using data from a national acid sulphate soil mapping project and historical MS distribution data. Finland has among the highest MS prevalences in the world and several independent nationwide surveys have shown the highest prevalence in western Finland, stable over time. Acid sulphate soil distribution colocalizes with MS, both on a regional (nationwide) scale and local (proximity to rivers) scale. A toxicokinetic LADME model for MS pathogenesis is presented. We propose that neurotoxic metals leaching from acid sulphate soils contribute to the clustering of MS in Finland.
多发性硬化症（MS）影响着全球约 300 万人，其发病率呈上升趋势。MS 的发病率随着离赤道距离的增加而增加，形成了从北到南的梯度。造成这种梯度的原因以及 MS 发病的一般原因在很大程度上尚不清楚。含硫的海洋和湖泊沉积物在排水后与氧气接触时会形成硫酸，从而导致酸性硫酸盐土壤的形成。从这些土壤中会释放出大量的神经毒性金属，如铁、铝和锰，以及痕量金属，如镍、铜和镉，进入周围环境。由于这些土壤主要用于农业，因此存在明显的人类金属暴露途径。在这里，我们使用国家酸性硫酸盐土壤测绘项目和历史 MS 分布数据，将芬兰酸性硫酸盐土壤的分布与 MS 病例的地理定位进行了比较。芬兰是世界上多发性硬化症发病率最高的国家之一，几项独立的全国性调查显示，芬兰西部的多发性硬化症发病率最高，且随着时间的推移保持稳定。酸性硫酸盐土壤的分布与 MS 在区域（全国范围内）和局部（靠近河流）尺度上都存在共定位。我们提出了一个用于 MS 发病机制的毒代动力学 LADME 模型。我们提出，从酸性硫酸盐土壤中浸出的神经毒性金属可能导致芬兰多发性硬化症的聚集。
