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Menstrual cycle characteristics in European and Inuit women exposed to persistent organochlorine pollutants

Toft, G ; Axmon, Anna LU orcid ; Lindh, Christian LU orcid ; Giwercman, Aleksander LU and Bonde, J P (2008) In Human Reproduction 23(1). p.193-200
Abstract
BACKGROUND Previous inconsistent results suggest that menstrual cycles may be disturbed by exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and 1,1-dichloro-2,2-bis (p-chlorophenyl)-ethylene (DDE). METHODS Information on menstrual cycle characteristics were obtained by questionnaires, and PCB and DDE were measured in serum samples from a total of 1494 women from Greenland, Swedish fishermen's wives, and inhabitants of Warsaw in Poland and Kharkiv in Ukraine. RESULTS No consistent effects of PCB and DDE exposure on menstrual cycle characteristics were observed across populations. Within populations, we observed increased risks of short cycles (</=24 days) among Swedish fishermen's wives exposed to high levels of PCB [odds ratio (OR) 2.5,... (More)
BACKGROUND Previous inconsistent results suggest that menstrual cycles may be disturbed by exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and 1,1-dichloro-2,2-bis (p-chlorophenyl)-ethylene (DDE). METHODS Information on menstrual cycle characteristics were obtained by questionnaires, and PCB and DDE were measured in serum samples from a total of 1494 women from Greenland, Swedish fishermen's wives, and inhabitants of Warsaw in Poland and Kharkiv in Ukraine. RESULTS No consistent effects of PCB and DDE exposure on menstrual cycle characteristics were observed across populations. Within populations, we observed increased risks of short cycles (</=24 days) among Swedish fishermen's wives exposed to high levels of PCB [odds ratio (OR) 2.5, confidence interval (CI) 1.2-5.1], and increased risk of long cycles (>/=32 days) among Polish women exposed to high levels of DDE (OR 3.1, CI 1.1-8.6). However, in Greenland it seemed that high levels of PCB or DDE were protective against long menstrual cycles (OR 0.7 CI 0.5-0.96 and OR 0.7 CI 0.5-0.99, respectively). CONCLUSIONS It is unlikely that exposure to PCB and DDE is a main cause of menstrual disturbances. Genetic differences or dietary factors may be involved in the non-homogenous associations of organochlorine exposure and menstrual cycle between countries. (Less)
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author
; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Human Reproduction
volume
23
issue
1
pages
193 - 200
publisher
Oxford University Press
external identifiers
  • pmid:17989067
  • wos:000252847300028
  • scopus:40549113027
ISSN
0268-1161
DOI
10.1093/humrep/dem349
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
a45879de-740c-414c-9f9b-651e7239f474 (old id 1137957)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 12:32:24
date last changed
2022-01-27 06:27:33
@article{a45879de-740c-414c-9f9b-651e7239f474,
  abstract     = {{BACKGROUND Previous inconsistent results suggest that menstrual cycles may be disturbed by exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and 1,1-dichloro-2,2-bis (p-chlorophenyl)-ethylene (DDE). METHODS Information on menstrual cycle characteristics were obtained by questionnaires, and PCB and DDE were measured in serum samples from a total of 1494 women from Greenland, Swedish fishermen's wives, and inhabitants of Warsaw in Poland and Kharkiv in Ukraine. RESULTS No consistent effects of PCB and DDE exposure on menstrual cycle characteristics were observed across populations. Within populations, we observed increased risks of short cycles (&lt;/=24 days) among Swedish fishermen's wives exposed to high levels of PCB [odds ratio (OR) 2.5, confidence interval (CI) 1.2-5.1], and increased risk of long cycles (&gt;/=32 days) among Polish women exposed to high levels of DDE (OR 3.1, CI 1.1-8.6). However, in Greenland it seemed that high levels of PCB or DDE were protective against long menstrual cycles (OR 0.7 CI 0.5-0.96 and OR 0.7 CI 0.5-0.99, respectively). CONCLUSIONS It is unlikely that exposure to PCB and DDE is a main cause of menstrual disturbances. Genetic differences or dietary factors may be involved in the non-homogenous associations of organochlorine exposure and menstrual cycle between countries.}},
  author       = {{Toft, G and Axmon, Anna and Lindh, Christian and Giwercman, Aleksander and Bonde, J P}},
  issn         = {{0268-1161}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{1}},
  pages        = {{193--200}},
  publisher    = {{Oxford University Press}},
  series       = {{Human Reproduction}},
  title        = {{Menstrual cycle characteristics in European and Inuit women exposed to persistent organochlorine pollutants}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/humrep/dem349}},
  doi          = {{10.1093/humrep/dem349}},
  volume       = {{23}},
  year         = {{2008}},
}