Effects of growth environments and two environmental endocrine disruptors on children with idiopathic precocious puberty.
OBJECTIVE
The incidence of idiopathic precocious puberty (IPP) might have an increasing trend. But the causes and risk factors of IPP are unknown. The objective of our study is to evaluate the effects of growth environments and two environmental endocrine disruptors (EDCs), zearalenone (ZEA), and 1,1-dichloro-2,2,bisethylene (p,p'-DDE), on patients with IPP.


METHODS
Case-control study.


METHODS
The study consisted of 78 IPP patients at diagnosis and 100 control children matched for age and sex. A questionnaire was designed to collect data on growth environments, and serum ZEA and p,p'-DDE were tested in all subjects. We analyzed data on growth environments, two EDCs, and biological interaction between growth environments and EDCs.


RESULTS
In growth environments, small for gestational age, maternal physical disease during pregnancy, early maternal menarche, early puberty of same-degree relatives, and father's absence in 4- to 6-year olds were risk factors for children with IPP (P<0.05). Serum ZEA concentration, ZEA, and p,p'-DDE-positive rates in the IPP group were significantly higher than those in the control group (P<0.05). There was a biological interaction between growth environments and ZEA (relative excess risk due to interaction =34.562, attributable proportion due to interaction =0.745, synergy index =4.193).


CONCLUSIONS
Results suggest possible effects of growth environments and two EDCs on the development of IPP. In addition, growth environments and ZEA have biological interaction that might increase the risk of developing IPP.
Department of Pediatrics, First Affiliated Hospital, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China.
Fang
F
Deng
Fang-biao
FB
Tao
De-yun
DY
Liu
Yuan-yuan
YY
Xu
Jia-hu
JH
Hao
Ying
Y
Sun
Pu-yu
PY
Su
D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003633:Dichlorodiphenyl Dichloroethylene / Q000009:adverse effects; D052244:Endocrine Disruptors / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008429:Maternal Welfare / Q000191:economics; D008572:Menarche; D047928:Premature Birth / Q000191:economics; D011629:Puberty, Precocious / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000191:economics / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D015025:Zearalenone / Q000009:adverse effects
D052244:Endocrine Disruptors; D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D003633:Dichlorodiphenyl Dichloroethylene; D015025:Zearalenone