Workplace lubricant exposure linked to higher odds of MS in new study

Workplace exposure to petroleum-based lubricants is linked to higher odds of multiple sclerosis (MS), a new study in Sweden suggests. The association was particularly strong among current smokers and people with certain genetic risk factors.

Researchers found that people who reported working with products such as engine oil, concrete form oil, and cutting fluids used to cool or lubricate metal had 38% higher odds of MS than those who did not. The odds also increased with longer exposure.

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“Our findings suggest that exposure to these products in the workplace, which is common in industrial settings, is associated with higher odds of MS, especially when combined with smoking or certain genetic characteristics,” said Anna Karin Hedström, MD, PhD, the study’s first author and a senior research specialist at Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, Sweden, in a press release from the American Academy of Neurology (AAN).

The study, “Occupational Exposure to Petroleum-Derived Lubricants and Risk of Multiple Sclerosis,” was published in Neurology, the medical journal of the AAN.

MS occurs when the immune system mistakenly attacks healthy tissue in the brain and spinal cord, causing inflammation and nerve damage. Although its exact cause remains unclear, both genetic and environmental factors are thought to play a role.

“Previous research has linked lung irritants such as cigarette smoke, organic solvents and air pollution to MS risk, but petroleum-derived lubricants have not been closely studied,” Hedström said.

Workers in metalworking, construction, and car repair may regularly encounter these lubricants. Tiny droplets and vapors released into the air during their use can be inhaled, potentially triggering inflammation in the lungs and changes in the immune system that may contribute to MS.

To examine the link between workplace lubricant exposure and MS, researchers analyzed data from a large Swedish study that included 2,872 people diagnosed with MS between 2005 and 2015 and 6,122 people without MS. The two groups were matched by age, sex, and residential area.

Researchers examine workplace exposure and MS risk

Participants completed questionnaires about their work histories, lifestyles, and environmental exposures, including when they were exposed to petroleum-based lubricants and how many hours per week they worked with them. Researchers also analyzed blood samples from some participants to see whether genetic factors affected the association between lubricant exposure and MS.

Overall, 251 people with MS (8.7%) reported workplace exposure to these lubricants, compared with 399 people without MS (6.5%). Among those exposed, 23% worked in metalworking, 17% in construction, 11% in car repair, and 10% in machinery maintenance. Men were more likely than women to report exposure.

After adjusting for age, sex, residential area, smoking, and other factors, people who reported exposure had 38% higher odds of MS than those who did not. The association was seen in both men and women.

Longer exposure and more hours of exposure each week were also linked to higher MS odds. Each additional year of exposure was associated with 2% higher odds of MS, as was each additional hour of exposure per week.

Researchers also examined each type of lubricant separately. All were significantly associated with higher MS odds except hydraulic oil.

The association remained when researchers excluded exposures during the seven years before MS symptoms first appeared. This helped address the possibility that the disease was already developing before symptoms began. In this analysis, people who had been exposed to petroleum-derived lubricants at least seven years before symptoms began had 55% higher odds of MS than those without such exposure.

Smoking and genetic factors linked to higher MS odds

People who worked with petroleum-based lubricants and were current smokers had higher MS odds than would be expected from simply adding the individual effects of the two exposures.

Researchers found a similar pattern among people exposed to these lubricants who lacked HLA-A*02:01, a genetic variant associated with lower MS risk. The association also appeared stronger among exposed participants carrying HLA-DRB1*15:01, a genetic variant linked to increased MS risk, although this interaction did not reach statistical significance.

Current smokers who were exposed to petroleum-based lubricants, carried HLA-DRB1*15:01, and lacked HLA-A*02:01 had nearly 34 times the odds of MS compared with nonsmokers who had neither workplace exposure nor either genetic risk factor. However, this estimate was based on just 16 people with MS and two people without MS, making it less precise.

“We provide new evidence that occupational exposure to petroleum-derived lubricants is associated with an increased risk of MS and that this risk is further augmented in smokers and individuals with HLA-DRB1*15:01 and absence of HLA-A*02:01,” the researchers concluded.

They cautioned, however, that the findings show an association, not proof that petroleum-derived lubricants cause MS. Exposure was self-reported, and other workplace factors may have influenced the findings.

Hedström emphasized the need for further research. “These findings point to the need for a closer look at workplace exposures that may play a role in MS risk,” she said. “Future studies should gather more detailed information about when people were exposed to these lubricants and how much they were exposed to at work.”