title: Serum organochlorine levels and history of lactation in Egypt.
abstract: We conducted a study in Egypt to assess the determinants of organochlorine serum levels among premenopausal women and the risk of premenopausal breast cancer for women with high organochlorine serum levels. We included 69 breast cancer patients and 53 controls consisting of visitors to the hospitals of the cancer patients. We found low levels of dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (DDE), total dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane, and beta-hexacholorhexane (beta-HCH) in most subjects. Mean DDE levels were 12.7 +/- 20.3 ppb for cases and 16.6 +/- 30.1 ppb for controls (P = 0.60); beta-HCH levels were 2.1 +/- 3.8 ppb for patients and 2.1 +/- 3.9 ppb for controls (P = 0.71). Interestingly, subjects with low levels had breast fed their children for an average period of 18 months. Women with no lactation history had much higher organochlorine levels than women who breast fed (P = 0.002 for DDE). Younger age, older age at first childbirth, and shorter duration of breast feeding were significant predictors of higher levels of serum DDE levels. Younger age, older age at first childbirth, and higher body mass index were significant predictors of higher beta-HCH levels. This study suggests that organochlorine serum levels in Egyptian women are quite low, but indicates an effect of breast feeding in eliminating organochlorines, which would imply exposure to children. Organochlorine serum level was not a risk factor of breast cancer in this population.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, The University of Texas, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Box 189 1515 Holcombe Boulevard, Houston, TX 77030, USA. asoliman@mdanderson.org
authors.forename: Amr S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Soliman
authors.forename: Xuemei
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: DiGiovanni
authors.forename: Saad
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Eissa
authors.forename: Magda
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Morad
authors.forename: Sury
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Vulimiri
authors.forename: Khaled G
authors.initials: KG
authors.lastname: Mahgoub
authors.forename: Dennis A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Johnston
authors.forename: Kim-Anh
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Do
authors.forename: Ibrahim A
authors.initials: IA
authors.lastname: Seifeldin
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Boffetta
authors.forename: Melissa L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Bondy
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000139:chemically induced; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004534:Egypt; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006843:Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism; D007306:Insecticides / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism; D007774:Lactation / Q000378:metabolism*; D016014:Linear Models; D008875:Middle Aged; D017697:Premenopause / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D006843:Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated; D007306:Insecticides