title: Role of endocrine disrupting chemicals in the occurrence of benign uterine leiomyomata: special emphasis on AhR tissue levels.
abstract: Although benign uterine leiomyomata (LMA) is the most common reproductive tumor in premenopausal women, its etiology is largely unknown. We aimed in the present study to demonstrate the potential role of environmental factors with estrogenic activity in tumor etiology by focusing on the role of aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) which mediates the effects of many environmental endocrine disruptors and contributes to the loss of normal ovarian function in polluted environments. This case-control study aimed to compare the interactions between AhR and lifestyle factors in a clinical setting for the first time among 138 newly diagnosed LMA patients and 138 normal controls who lived in Tehran and Mashhad, respectively, during the last 10 years. To conduct immunohistochemical studies using appropriate monoclonal antibodies, 30 cases were selected retrospectively from 2009-2011 from the pathology departments of two university hospitals in Tehran. Although the levels of sex steroid receptors were similar in adjacent myometrium and uterine leiomyomas of all cases, AhR was significantly overexpressed (p=0.034, OR=1.667) in uterine LMA and this overexpression was correlated with living in Tehran [(p=0.04, OR=16 (1.216-210.58)], smoking[P=0.04, OR=2.085 (1.29-3.371)], living near polycyclic aromative hydrocarbon producing companies [p=0.007, OR=2.22 (1.256-3.926)] and eating grilled meat [p=0.042, OR=1.28 (1.92-3.842)]. Our study contributes to the understanding of the effects of EDCs on AhR levels as well as women's health and points out possible risk factors for the development and growth of uterine LMA. It seems that the development of LMA could be the result of interactions between hormonal and environmental factors.
authors: Department of Toxicology and Pharmacology, Islamic Azad University, Pharmaceutical Sciences Branch (IAUPS), Tehran, Iran. arbabi.s@iaups.ac.ir
authors: Sepideh Arbabi
authors: SA
authors: Bidgoli
authors: Hoda
authors: H
authors: Khorasani
authors: Heideh
authors: H
authors: Keihan
authors: Alireza
authors: A
authors: Sadeghipour
authors: Abolfazl
authors: A
authors: Mehdizadeh
mesh_terms: D016022:Case-Control Studies; D052244:Endocrine Disruptors / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D007492:Iran / Q000453:epidemiology; D007889:Leiomyoma / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000378:metabolism; D009215:Myometrium / Q000378:metabolism; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D018336:Receptors, Aryl Hydrocarbon / Q000378:metabolism*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D014594:Uterine Neoplasms / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D052244:Endocrine Disruptors; D018336:Receptors, Aryl Hydrocarbon