Motor neuron disease and exposure to chemicals--aetiological suggestions from a case-control study.

A recent case-control study indicates that some males are genetically predisposed to develop motor neuron disease if they are exposed to chemicals, particularly solvents. Markers for such a predisposition are hereditary for a neurodegenerative disease and/or a thyroid disease. The reason for this susceptibility might be pharmacogenetic polymorphism, which causes deficient detoxification entailing oxidative stress and cell death.