Occupational exposure to farm animals and antibody biomarkers of campylobacter jejuni exposure and autoimmune peripheral neuropathy

Background and Objectives: Foodborne Campylobacter jejuni infection has been associated with an increased risk of autoimmune peripheral neuropathy, but risks of occupational exposure to C. jejuni have received less attention. This study compared anti-C. jejuni IgA, IgG, and IgM antibody levels, as well as likelihood of testing positive for any of five anti-ganglioside autoantibodies, between farmers and non-farmers. The relationship between anti-C. jejuni antibody levels and detection of anti-ganglioside autoantibodies was also assessed. Methods: Serum samples collected in 2006 from 129 animal farmers from the Agricultural Health Study and 46 non-farmers from Iowa were analyzed for anti-C. jejuni antibodies and anti-ganglioside autoantibodies using ELISA. Information on animal exposures was assessed using questionnaire data. Mann-Whitney tests and linear regression on log-transformed outcomes were used to compare anti-C. jejuni antibody levels between groups. Fisher's Exact Tests and logistic regression were used to compare positivity for anti-ganglioside autoantibodies between groups. Results: Farmers had significantly higher levels of anti-C. jejuni IgA (p < 0.0001) and IgG (p = 0.02) antibodies compared to non-farmers. A higher percentage of farmers tested positive for anti-ganglioside autoantibodies compared to non-farmers, but this difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.11). There was no significant association between anti-C. jejuni antibody levels and positivity for anti-ganglioside autoantibodies. Conclusions: The findings provide evidence that farmers who work with animals are at increased risk of exposure to C. jejuni. Occupational exposure to C. jejuni in the farm environment is a health risk that should be addressed by policymakers.