Increased exposure to dioxin-like compounds is associated with endometriosis in a case–control study in women

Simsa P, Péter Simsa, Peter Simsa, Mihalyi A, Attila Mihalyi, Greet Schoeters, Gudrun Koppen, Koppen G, Cleophas M Kyama, Cleophas Kyama, Elly M Den Hond, Den Hond EM, Vilmos Fülöp, Fülöp V, D'Hooghe TM, Thomas D’Hooghe, Thomas M D'Hooghe
Reproductive biomedicine online · 2010 · vol. 20(5) , pp. 681–688 · doi:10.1016/j.rbmo.2010.01.018 · PMID:20211585 · W2138143690
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This case-control study found an association between increased exposure to dioxin-like compounds and endometriosis in women.

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Abstract

Although endometriosis is thought to be an environmental disorder initiated by dioxin exposure, this association is controversial. This study was performed to test the hypothesis that endometriosis occurs more often in women exposed to higher concentrations of dioxin-like compounds (DLC) than in those women exposed to lower concentrations. Plasma samples collected prior to laparoscopic surgery from 96 women with endometriosis and 106 control patients with a normal pelvis were measured for DLC concentrations using the dioxin-responsive chemical-activated luciferase expression bioassay. The results showed that concentration (mean+/-SD) of DLC was marginally higher in patients with endometriosis (22.3+/-9.3pg CALUX-TEQ/g lipid) than in controls (20.5+/-10.8pg). After categorization of patients in a group with 'low' plasma concentrations (75th centile) of DLC, the age-adjusted odds ratio to have endometriosis was 2.44 (95% CI 1.04-5.70; P=0.04) for women with high concentrations of DLC and it increased to 3.01 (95% CI 1.06-9.04; P=0.03) when only women with moderate severe endometriosis were considered. In conclusion, women exposed to higher plasma concentrations of DLC were at higher risk of having endometriosis than women exposed to lower concentrations of DLC within normal environmental concentrations.

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Condition tags

endometriosis

MeSH descriptors

Dioxins Endometriosis Biological Assay Case-Control Studies Dioxins Endometriosis Environmental Exposure Female Humans Luciferases Luciferases

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