Environmental Factors Associated With Peripheral Neuropathies in French Guiana

Overview

Peripheral neuropathies (PN) affect 1% of the global population, particularly the elderly. About 20-30% of cases remain unexplained. In French Guiana, we hypothesize that factors like neurotoxic traditional plant remedies, arboviral disease outbreaks, and mercury exposure from illegal gold mining may contribute to PN. The study aims to assess the association between PN and exposure to arboviral infections, heavy metals, and plant consumption in French Guiana.

Peripheral neuropathies (PN) affect 1% of the global population, with higher prevalence in the elderly. They lead to gait disorders and chronic pain, severely impacting quality of life. Despite thorough investigations, 20-30% of cases have no identified cause. In French Guiana, unique factors may contribute to these neuropathies, including the use of potentially neurotoxic traditional plant remedies and outbreaks of arboviral diseases, which can complicate conditions like Guillain-Barré syndrome. Additionally, illegal gold mining exposes residents to mercury, both directly and through environmental contamination. We hypothesize that these local factors might explain the unidentified cases of PN and exacerbate neuropathies in patients with pre-existing nerve vulnerability, such as diabetic neuropathy. This is a prospective multicenter case-control study being conducted in hospitals in Cayenne and Saint-Laurent du Maroni. At the inclusion visit, blood samples will be taken to assess arbovirus serology, particularly for Zika, Chikungunya and Dengue, as well as to measure levels of heavy metals, including mercury and lead. In addition, urine and hair samples will be taken to analyze these heavy metals. Participants will also fill in a questionnaire about their plant consumption. They will not be followed as part of the research.