Adipose tissue concentrations of persistent organic pollutants and the risk of prostate cancer.
OBJECTIVE
We sought to study the concentrations of certain persistent organic pollutants with endocrine-disrupting properties in cases with prostate cancer and controls with benign prostate hyperplasia.


METHODS
Adipose tissue was obtained from 58 cases and 20 controls.


RESULTS
The median concentration among controls was used as cut-off in the statistical analysis. In the total material, a greater-than median concentration of PCB congener 153 yielded an odds ratio (OR) of 3.15 and 95% confidence interval (CI) of 1.04-9.54 and one chlordane type, trans-chlordane, yielded OR 3.49 (95% CI = 1.08-11.2). In the group of case subjects with PSA levels greater than the median level of 16.5 ng/mL, PCB 153 was OR 30.3 (95% CI = 3.24-284), hexachlorobenzene OR = 9.84 (95% CI = 1.99-48.5), trans-chlordane OR = 11.0 (95% CI = 1.87-64.9), and the chlordane-type MC6 OR = 7.58 (95% CI = 1.65-34.9). The grouping of PCBs according to structural and biological activity was found to produce significantly increased risks for enzyme and phenobarbital-inducing PCBs and lower chlorinated PCBs in the case group with PSA levels greater than 16.5 ng/mL.


CONCLUSIONS
These chemicals might be of etiologic significance but need to be further investigated. The biological relevance of the arbitrary cut-off point of PSA is unclear.
Hardell
Lennart
L
Department of Oncology, University Hospital, Orebro, Sweden. lennart.hardell@orebroll.se
Andersson
Swen-Olof
SO
Carlberg
Michael
M
Bohr
Louise
L
van Bavel
Bert
B
Lindström
Gunilla
G
Björnfoth
Helen
H
Ginman
Claes
C
D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000502:physiology*; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016273:Occupational Exposure; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls / Q000378:metabolism; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen / Q000032:analysis; D011470:Prostatic Hyperplasia / Q000209:etiology*; D018570:Risk Assessment; D013222:State Medicine; D013548:Sweden
D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen