1.
Perfluoroalkyl substances exposure and risk of polycystic ovarian syndrome related infertility in Chinese women.
Wang, W, Zhou, W, Wu, S, Liang, F, Li, Y, Zhang, J, Cui, L, Feng, Y, Wang, Y
Environmental pollution (Barking, Essex : 1987). 2019;:824-831
Abstract
Perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are a family of synthetic, fluorinated organic compounds. They have been widely used in industrial applications and consumer products and widespread in the environment, wildlife and human. Experimental and epidemiologic evidence suggested that PFASs are capable of interfering with endocrine processes and have potential reproductive and developmental toxicities. Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), one of the main reasons of female infertility, is a common endocrine disorder in reproductive age women. We performed a case-control study to evaluate associations between PCOS-related infertility and PFASs concentrations in plasma. A total of 180 infertile PCOS-cases and 187 healthy controls were recruited from the Center for Reproductive Medicine of Shandong University. Blood specimens were collected at enrollment and analyzed for ten PFASs using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Multivariable logistic regression procedure was used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for each PFAS. Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) were the dominant PFASs in the plasma of participants, with the median concentration of 5.07 ng/mL and 4.05 ng/mL, respectively. The median levels of individual PFAS were not significantly different between PCOS-cases and controls. While adjusted for the potential confounders (age, BMI, household income, education level, employment status, age at menarche, menstrual volume), the plasma concentration of perfluorododecanoic acid (PFDoA), a 12 carbons lengths of perfluorocarboxylic acids, was associated with a significantly increased risk of PCOS-related infertility (medium vs low tertile: OR = 2.36, 95% CI: 1.12, 4.99, P = 0.02; high vs low tertile: OR = 3.04, 95% CI: 1.19, 7.67, P = 0.02), with the P trend 0.01. No significant relationship was observed between PCOS-related infertility and other PFAS analytes in the adjusted model, despite perfluoroundecanoic acid showed a negative association (P trend 0.03). The potential reproductive health effects of PFASs and the underlying mechanisms merit further investigation in the future.
2.
Environmental risk factors for women with polycystic ovary syndrome in china: a population-based case-control study.
Zhang, J, Liu, XF, Liu, Y, Xu, LZ, Zhou, LL, Tang, LL, Zhuang, J, Li, TT, Guo, WQ, Hu, R, et al
Journal of biological regulators and homeostatic agents. 2014;(2):203-11
Abstract
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common reproductive endocrinology disease with heterogeneous phenotype. Environmental factors are thought to be involved in the development of PCOS. The present study aimed to explore the potential environmental risk factors of PCOS. A cross-sectional study and stratified population-based case-control study were carried out. Pre-designed questionnaires were prepared, including questions about medication history, contact history of endocrine disruptors (EDs), environment and habituation. Fasting blood was collected for measurement of sex hormone, glucose and insulin. Matched logistic regression analysis was used to find the potential independent risk factor of PCOS. One thousand eight hundred fifty-four participants (aged 12-44 years) were analyzed in the cross-sectional investigation. One hundred sixty-nine PCOS patients and 338 matched controls were compared. PCOS patients were more frequent than controls in eating plastic-packaged food (p=0.001), contacting pesticide (p=0.021), eating fruit with pericarp (p=0.001), living beside a garbage heap (p=0.001), working at an acid plant (p=0.028), taking Chinese patent drugs (p=0.001), smoking (p=0.028) and drinking alcohol (p=0.001). However, PCOS patients were less likely to use kitchen ventilators (p=0.002), eat canned food (p=0.049), contact decorated materials, use skin care products (p=0.01) and cosmetics (p=0.027). No difference was found in taking antiepileptic drugs (p=0.93). Eating plastic-packaged food (p=0.001, OR=44.449), eating fruit with pericarp (p=0.03, OR=5.7) and drinking alcohol (p=0.001, OR=29.632) were found to be the independent risk factors for PCOS. The existence of an association between EDs and PCOS was proved. Plastic-packaged food, fruit with pericarp and drinking alcohol should be avoided as possible as we can. However, the causal relationships among these factors and PCOS should be proved by further research.