title: Serum dioxins, polychlorinated biphenyls, and endometriosis: a case-control study in Atlanta.
abstract: Endometriosis among women of reproductive age can result in pain and infertility. The objectives of this study were to test if there is a relation between endometriosis and serum dioxin concentrations as expressed by total toxic equivalence and serum total polychlorinated biphenyl concentrations among women patients at one Atlanta reproductive medicine clinic during 1998-1999; a secondary objective was to provide exposure data for individual congeners of these chemicals and 1,1-dichloro-2,2-bis(4-chlorophenyl)ethane (p,p'-DDE) in women in Atlanta. Laparoscopy including biopsy and visualization of the peritoneal cavity, ovaries, outside of the fallopian tubes and uterus confirmed all endometriosis cases (n=60) and confirmed 30 controls without endometriosis. Other controls had an infertile partner (n=27) or ovulation problems (n=7) with no signs or symptoms of endometriosis. All serum samples were analyzed at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 2003. Statistical analyses included Fisher's exact chi-square tests and logistic regression. Models were presented for the full study sample and for the subset that included all cases (n=60) and only controls (n=30) with surgical confirmation of disease-free status. Serum concentrations (lipid-adjusted and non lipid-adjusted) of analyzed exposure measures were low and similar for cases and controls and did not explain endometriosis in the study population.
authors.affiliation: Division of Environmental Hazards and Health Effects, National Center for Environmental Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA. asniskar@gmail.com
authors.forename: Amanda S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Niskar
authors.forename: Larry L
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Needham
authors.forename: Carol
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rubin
authors.forename: Wayman E
authors.initials: WE
authors.lastname: Turner
authors.forename: Colleen A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.forename: Donald G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Patterson
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hasty
authors.forename: Lee-Yang
authors.initials: LY
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Marcus
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003710:Demography; D003633:Dichlorodiphenyl Dichloroethylene / Q000097:blood; D004147:Dioxins / Q000097:blood*; D004715:Endometriosis / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000453:epidemiology*; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls / Q000097:blood*; D012307:Risk Factors; D016387:Women's Health
chemical_list: D004147:Dioxins; D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D003633:Dichlorodiphenyl Dichloroethylene; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls