title: The relationships between blood lead levels and serum follicle stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone in the third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.
abstract: The relationships between blood lead levels and serum follicle stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone were assessed in a nationally representative sample of women, 35-60 years old, from the third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. The blood lead levels of the women ranged from 0.7 to 31.1 microg/dl. The estimated geometric mean was 2.2 microg/dl, and the estimated arithmetic mean was 2.8 microg/dl. As the blood lead level increased across women, the concentration of serum follicle stimulating hormone increased in post-menopausal women, women who had both ovaries removed, and pre-menopausal women. The concentration of follicle stimulating hormone decreased in pre-menopausal women who were taking birth control pills. The concentration of luteinizing hormone increased as blood lead level increased in post-menopausal women and women who had both ovaries removed. The lowest concentrations of blood lead at which a relationship was detected were 1.7 microg/dl for follicle stimulating hormone and 2.8 microg/dl for luteinizing hormone. The increase in follicle stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone in women with no ovaries indicates that lead may act at a non-ovarian site in the female reproductive system, along with a possible effect on the ovaries.
authors.affiliation: National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Robert A. Taft Laboratories, MS C-22, Cincinnati, OH 45226, USA. erk3@cdc.gov
authors.forename: Edward F
authors.initials: EF
authors.lastname: Krieg
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015519:Bone Density; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D005260:Female; D043373:Follicle Stimulating Hormone, Human / Q000097:blood*; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007854:Lead / Q000097:blood*; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone / Q000097:blood*; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009749:Nutrition Surveys; D010052:Ovariectomy; D017698:Postmenopause; D017697:Premenopause; D012044:Regression Analysis; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States
chemical_list: D043373:Follicle Stimulating Hormone, Human; D007854:Lead; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone