People who are repeatedly exposed to petroleum-based lubricants at work, including motor oil, hydraulic oil and coolants used in metalworking, may face a higher risk of developing multiple sclerosis (MS).
This conclusion comes from a study published in the scientific journal Neurology, a publication of the American Academy of Neurology.
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The research was conducted by scientists at Sweden’s Karolinska Institute and included 2,872 people diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, as well as 6,122 individuals without the disease. The participants’ average age was 35, and they all lived in Sweden.
Through questionnaires, participants provided information about their work history and possible exposure to lubricants in the workplace before the first signs of the disease appeared. The highest levels of exposure were reported by workers in metalworking, construction, auto repair and machinery maintenance.
Among the people with multiple sclerosis, 251 participants, or 8.7%, said they had been exposed to petroleum-based lubricants at work. Among those without the disease, the figure was 399 people, or 6.5%.
When the data were compared, the researchers found that individuals exposed to these substances were 38% more likely to develop multiple sclerosis than people who had not experienced such exposure.
The result was particularly pronounced among smokers who carried a specific combination of genetic variants associated with the risk of the disease. In this category, the likelihood of developing multiple sclerosis was more than 33 times higher compared with people who had none of these factors.
However, the authors urge caution in interpreting this estimate, as the relevant group consisted of only 16 people with multiple sclerosis and two people without the disease.
The data also suggested that the impact was linked to the duration and intensity of exposure. For each additional year of contact with these substances, the likelihood of developing the disease increased by 2%. A 2% increase was also recorded for each additional hour of exposure per week.
To determine whether this link also appeared long before the first symptoms, the researchers repeated the analysis, considering only people who had been exposed at least seven years earlier. In this analysis too, exposure to petroleum-based lubricants was associated with a 55% higher likelihood of developing multiple sclerosis.
Multiple sclerosis is a chronic disease that affects the central nervous system. In this condition, the immune system attacks the brain, spinal cord and optic nerves. So far, scientists have identified a range of genetic and environmental factors that may influence its onset.
The researchers explain that the findings do not prove that petroleum-based lubricants directly cause multiple sclerosis. They show only an association between occupational exposure to these substances and the risk of the disease.
One of the main limitations of the research was that information about exposure was self-reported by the participants, which may have affected the accuracy of the data. In addition, the results may also have been influenced by contact with other substances in the workplace.
According to the researchers, further studies and analyses in different populations are needed to verify these conclusions.
