MDS Abstracts

Abstracts from the International Congress of Parkinson’s and Movement Disorders.

MENU 
  • Home
  • Meetings Archive
    • 2024 International Congress
    • 2023 International Congress
    • 2022 International Congress
    • MDS Virtual Congress 2021
    • MDS Virtual Congress 2020
    • 2019 International Congress
    • 2018 International Congress
    • 2017 International Congress
    • 2016 International Congress
  • Keyword Index
  • Resources
  • Advanced Search

Clostridium Difficile Infection and Risk of Parkinson’s Disease: A Swedish Population-Based Cohort Study

X. Kang, A. Ploner, J. Ludvigsson, D. Williams, N. Pedersen, K. Wirdefeldt (Solna, Sweden)

Meeting: 2019 International Congress

Abstract Number: 1809

Keywords: Gastrointestinal problemsm(also see autonomic dysfunction)

Session Information

Date: Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Session Title: Epidemiology

Session Time: 1:15pm-2:45pm

Location: Les Muses, Level 3

Objective: To examine whether individuals with a history of Clostridium difficile (C. diff) infection have an elevated risk of developing Parkinson’s disease (PD).

Background: The gastrointestinal system has been postulated to mediate the pathophysiology of PD. C. diff infection (CDI) is a leading cause of infectious diarrhea and disproportionally affects older people. Nonetheless, whether CDI is associated with PD risk is unknown.

Method: Adult participants (age >= 35) in the Swedish Population and Housing Census 1990 (FoB90) were followed up from 1997 to 2013 for diagnosis of CDI and incident PD, using the Swedish National Patient Register. Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) comparing CDI-exposed and non-exposed individuals were estimated with Cox proportional hazards model, adjusting for attained age, time since infection, gender, birth country, education attainment and comorbidities. Stratified analyses were performed to assess whether the association differed by the source of infection diagnosis (inpatient vs outpatient), presence of recurrent infection(s), and history of pre-infection use of antibiotics.

Results: The study cohort consisted of N=4,873,154 Swedish residents, of whom 0.75% were exposed to C. diff. In total, 165 and 47,035 incident PD cases were identified amongst the CDI and non-CDI groups during a mean follow-up of 5.36 person-years (PYs) and 15.29 PYs, respectively. In the adjusted Cox model, PD risk was higher among exposed than non-exposed individuals within the first two years since exposure to CDI [HR (95% CI): 1.31 (1.08, 1.59)]. This association attenuated over time and became inverse 8-10 years after infection. The short-term increased PD risk was observed in all CDI subgroups; whereas the long-term inverse relationship between CDI and PD risk was only observed among individuals who were hospitalized at CDI diagnosis, those who had no recurrent infections, and those who did not use antibiotics within 6 months prior to a CDI.

Conclusion: Our findings imply a positive association between CDI and PD risk at early stages after infection, which may be due to the surveillance bias. In long-term follow-up, individuals exposed to CDI may be at lower risk of PD.

To cite this abstract in AMA style:

X. Kang, A. Ploner, J. Ludvigsson, D. Williams, N. Pedersen, K. Wirdefeldt. Clostridium Difficile Infection and Risk of Parkinson’s Disease: A Swedish Population-Based Cohort Study [abstract]. Mov Disord. 2019; 34 (suppl 2). https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/clostridium-difficile-infection-and-risk-of-parkinsons-disease-a-swedish-population-based-cohort-study/. Accessed May 15, 2025.
  • Tweet
  • Email
  • Print

« Back to 2019 International Congress

MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/clostridium-difficile-infection-and-risk-of-parkinsons-disease-a-swedish-population-based-cohort-study/

Most Viewed Abstracts

  • This Week
  • This Month
  • All Time
  • Yerba Mate (Ilex paraguaiensis) protects dopaminergic neurons degeneration and improve their maturation in culture
  • #26133 (not found)
  • Effect of marijuana on Essential Tremor: A case report
  • Increased Risks of Botulinum Toxin Injection in Patients with Hypermobility Ehlers Danlos Syndrome: A Case Series
  • Covid vaccine induced parkinsonism and cognitive dysfunction
  • Estimation of the 2020 Global Population of Parkinson’s Disease (PD)
  • Patients with Essential Tremor Live Longer than their Relatives
  • Help & Support
  • About Us
  • Cookies & Privacy
  • Wiley Job Network
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Advertisers & Agents
Copyright © 2025 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society. All Rights Reserved.
Wiley