title: The relationships between blood lead levels and serum follicle stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1999-2002.
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 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1999-2002. The blood lead levels of the women ranged from 0.2 to 17.0 μg/dL. The estimated geometric mean was 1.4 μg/dL, and the estimated arithmetic mean was 1.6 μg/dL. As the blood lead level increased, 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 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 0.9 μg/dL for follicle stimulating hormone and 3.2 μg/dL for luteinizing hormone. Lead may act directly or indirectly at ovarian and non-ovarian sites to increase the concentrations of follicle stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone.
authors.affiliation: National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Robert A. Taft Laboratories, 4676 Columbia Parkway, MS C-22, Cincinnati, OH 45226, USA. erk3@cdc.gov
authors.forename: Edward F
authors.initials: EF
authors.lastname: Krieg
authors.forename: Huiling A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Feng
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase / Q000097:blood; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000201:enzymology; D024042:Collagen Type I / Q000652:urine; D003367:Cotinine / Q000097:blood; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D007854:Lead / Q000097:blood*; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone / Q000097:blood*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009749:Nutrition Surveys; D010052:Ovariectomy; D010455:Peptides / Q000652:urine; D017698:Postmenopause / Q000097:blood; D011247:Pregnancy; D017697:Premenopause / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D024042:Collagen Type I; D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D010455:Peptides; C052929:collagen type I trimeric cross-linked peptide; D007854:Lead; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase; D003367:Cotinine