title: Concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls in blood and the risk for testicular cancer.
abstract: An increasing incidence of testicular cancer has been reported from several western countries during the last decades. According to current hypothesis testicular cancer is initiated during the foetal period and exposure to endocrine disruptors such as some persistent organic pollutants has been of concern. We have previously reported the results for concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), p,p'-dichlorodiphenyl-dichloroethylene (pp'-DDE), hexachlorobenzene (HCB) and chlordanes in 58 cases with testicular cancer, 61 age-matched controls and 44 case mothers and 45 control mothers. In that report, significant increase of odds ratio (OR) was found for sum of PCBs, HCB, trans- and cis-nonachlordane in case mothers. These data have now been further analysed for 37 congeners of PCBs. No significant differences were found among cases and controls. However, case mothers had significantly increased concentrations of a number of PCB congeners. A priori decided grouping of PCBs yielded for oestrogenic PCBs OR = 2.4, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.95-6.0, enzyme-inducing PCBsOR = 2.6, 95% CI = 1.03-6.5 and toxic equivalents (TEQ) yielded OR = 3.3, 95% CI = 1.3-8.4. These data further elucidate the role of foetal exposure to different PCB congeners in the aetiology of testicular cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, University Hospital, Orebro, Sweden. lennart.hardell@orebroll.se
authors.forename: Lennart
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hardell
authors.forename: Bert
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Van Bavel
authors.forename: Gunilla
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lindström
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Carlberg
authors.forename: Mikael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Eriksson
authors.forename: Ann Charlotte
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Dreifaldt
authors.forename: Hans
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wijkström
authors.forename: Hans
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Starkhammar
authors.forename: Arne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hallquist
authors.forename: Torgny
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kolmert
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008895:Milk, Human / Q000737:chemistry; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood*; D012016:Reference Values; D012044:Regression Analysis; D018570:Risk Assessment; D013736:Testicular Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls