title: A case-control study of bisphenol A and endometrioma among subgroup of Iranian women.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Endometriosis is a multifactorial hormonally related complex disease with unknown etiology. Epidemiologic data were suggested the possible effects of endocrine disrupting chemicals such as bisphenol A (BPA) on endometriosis. BPA is similar to endogenous estrogen and has the ability to interact with estrogen receptors and stimulate estrogen production. Our aim was to evaluate the relationship between urinary BPA concentrations in women with endometrioma.
  
  
  METHODS
  This case-control study consisted of fifty women who have been referred to gynecology and infertility center with endometrioma and were candidates for operative laparoscopy and ovarian cystectomy as cases. Fifty women who had not any evidence of endometrioma in clinical and ultrasound evaluation and came to the same clinic for routine check-up were selected as controls. One-time urine sample was collected after receiving informed consent before surgery and medical intervention. Total BPA in urine was measured with high-performance liquid chromatography method and detection limit was 0.33 ng/mL.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Percentage of urine samples containing BPA was 86% of cases and 82.4% of control. Urinary BPA showed a right-skewed distribution. The mean concentration of BPA was 5.53 ± 3.47 ng/mL and 1.43 ± 1.57 ng/mL in endometriosis and control group, respectively (P< 0.0001, Mann-Whitney U-test). The logistic regression showed that the odds ratio of the BPA was 1.74 (95% confidence interval: 1.40-2.16) after adjustment of age, parity, body mass index <30, and educational status.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study showed a positive association between urinary BPA concentrations and endometrioma. However, further large-scale studies are needed to confirm this hypothesis.
authors.affiliation: Vali-e-Asr Reproductive Health Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Batool Hossein
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: Rashidi
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Drug Design and Development Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Massoud
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Amanlou
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Reproductive Health Research Center, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran.
authors.forename: Tahere Behrouzi
authors.initials: TB
authors.lastname: Lak
authors.affiliation: Vali-e-Asr Reproductive Health Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Mahya
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ghazizadeh
authors.affiliation: Vali-e-Asr Reproductive Health Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Bita
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Eslami
keywords: Bisphenol A; endometrioma; high-performance liquid chromatography