Organochlorines and endometriosis: A mini-review

Heilier JF, Jean-François Heilier, Donnez J, Jacques Donnez, Dominique Lison
Chemosphere · 2007 · vol. 71(2) , pp. 203–210 · doi:10.1016/j.chemosphere.2007.09.044 · PMID:18006040 · W2000017904
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This review explores the potential link between organochlorine exposure and the development of endometriosis based on existing literature.

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Abstract

Organochlorines (polychlorinated biphenyls and dioxin-like compounds) are suspected to play a role in the etiopathogenesis of endometriosis. This hypothesis, based on experimental data, has been circulating for years in the scientific community and several epidemiologic surveys have attempted to obtain confirmatory human data. The purpose of this mini-review is to provide an overview of the twelve epidemiological studies that have assessed the relationship between endometriosis and organochlorine exposure. Several studies did not observe a significant association between peritoneal endometriosis and organochlorines. The deep nodular form of endometriosis appears associated with a higher serum level of both dioxin-like compounds and polychlorobiphenyls. The type of control women, the nature of the chemicals measured, and the definition of the disease could modulate the ability to detect the possible relationship between endometriosis and organochlorine exposure.

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Condition tags

endometriosis

MeSH descriptors

Endometriosis Endometriosis Environmental Monitoring Environmental Pollutants Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated Dioxins Dioxins Dioxins Endometriosis Endometriosis Environmental Pollutants Environmental Pollutants Epidemiological Monitoring Female Humans Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated Polychlorinated Biphenyls Polychlorinated Biphenyls Polychlorinated Biphenyls

Citation neighborhood

Papers in the corpus that this work cites (lower rings, blue) and that cite this one (upper rings, green). Dot size scales with the paper's in-corpus citation count — bigger dot = more influential within the endo/adeno field. Click a dot to open that paper. [ expand to 2 hops ] — adds papers reached through this work's immediate citers/citees. Heavier; up to 60 extra dots.

References (47)

Cited by (27)

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License: CC0 · commercial use OK