Potential role of ecological factors in the occurrence of gynaecological disease

Objective of the study. Evaluation of prevalence of reproductive system problems in women living in the vicinity of a waste incineration plant and the possible involvement of manganese and nickel emissions in the occurrence of gynaecological disease. Materials and Мethods. The author has reviewed statistical indicators of the prevalence of gynaecological disease in women over 18 years of age. These indicators of disease were estimated per 10,000 of the population. Prior studies have shown high levels of exposure of the population to manganese and nickel. The study was conducted among the residents of a 2-kilometre zone around a waste incineration plant (Group 1) and the residents of an environmentally pristine area (Group 2) in Kyiv. The first group enrolled 89.747 women and the second group enrolled 29.492 women. The comparison across the two groups was performed by assessment of the statistical significance of the differences for two relative quantities using Statistica 8.0 software. Results. The findings of the study have shown that compared to Group 2, patients of Group 1 were more frequently found to have the following: uterine leiomyoma (by 80.32 %, p — 0.0000), endometriosis (by 17.31 %, p — 0.027), endometrial hyperplasia (by 67.46 %, p — 0.001), cervical dysplasia (by 93.46 %, p — 0.0000), abnormal menopause (by 123.63 %, p — 0.0000), benign lesions of the mammary gland (by 371.20 %, p = 0.0000). There were approximately identical levels of prevalence of polyps, cervical cancer and menstrual disorders. The article discusses possible pathogenetic mechanisms associated with the role of increased exposure to manganese and nickel in the occurrence of gynaecological disease. Key Words: gynecological pathology, prevalence, ecology, manganese, nickel.