There are increased levels of polychlorobiphenyls in Italian women with endometriosis. - GreenMedInfo Summary
Increased levels of polychlorobiphenyls in Italian women with endometriosis.
Chemosphere. 2006 May;63(8):1361-7. Epub 2005 Nov 11. PMID: 16289286
Department of Gynecological Sciences, Perinatology and Child Health, University La Sapienza, 00161 Rome, Italy.
Endometriosis has been hypothesised to be linked to persistent and toxic organochlorinated chemicals. Dioxins and dioxin-like compounds have in particular been associated with the disease, mainly on the basis of experimental studies. Data in women are conflicting. A case-control study on 80 Italian nulliparous women of reproductive age was carried out to assess whether there is a correlation between the presence of endometriosis and blood levels of polychlorobiphenyls (PCBs), a family of ubiquitary environmental pollutants which comprises congeners with dioxin-like activity. Higher levels of PCBs were found in women with endometriosis. A mean cumulative value of 410 ng g(-1), lipid base, was found in cases versus the value of 250 ng g(-1) observed in the control group (odds ratio for upper tertile 4.0, CI 95% 1.3-13; p = 0.0003). PCB increase involved both dioxin-like (PCBs 105, 118, 156, and 167) and non-dioxin-like congeners (PCBs 101, 138, 153, 170, 180).