Saturday 3 September 2005
Organochlorines may drive endometriosis development
Source: Fertility and Sterility 2005; 84: 305-12
A case-control study investigates whether body burden of dioxin-like compounds is associated with endometriotic disease.
The results of an epidemiological study have provided support for the theory that the body burden of dioxin-like compounds might contribute to the development of endometriosis.
Jean-Francois Heilier (University Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium) and colleagues explain that "the role of endocrine disruptors and, more specifically, organochlorines in the onset or growth of endometriosis has been suspected on the basis of experimental data since the early 1990s," but epidemiological studies have produced inconclusive results.
To investigate further, they assessed dioxin (PCDD), furan (PCDF), and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) serum concentrations for 25 women with peritoneal endometriosis, 25 with deep endometriotic (adenomyotic) nodules, and 21 healthy controls.
After standardizing for age and body mass index, the researchers found that mean total levels of toxic equivalents (TEQ) were higher in patients with deep endometriotic nodules and those with peritoneal endometriosis than in controls (37.6 and 30.62 vs 24.21 picog TEQ/g lipids). Indeed, an increase in total TEQ of 10 pg was associated with a significant 3.3-fold increased risk of deep endometriotic nodules and a borderline 1.9-fold increased risk of endometriosis.
"The results presented here provide the first epidemiological evidence of a clear association between increased PCDD/PCDF and PCB body burden and the risk of endometriosis and/or deep endometriotic (adenomyotic) nodules," the authors conclude.
Posted: 2 August 2005
http://www.orgyn.com/en/news/2005/Week_35/Day_5/Organochlorines_may_.asp?C=82911385981724537037 
Organochlorines may drive endometriosis development 
