Table 3.
Recent evidences on the effects of EDCs on fertility in women.
| Contaminant | Substrate | Cohort | Results |
|---|---|---|---|
| BPA | Urine | 25 Turkish prepubertal girls with premature thelarche (PT), 25 healthy prepubertal girls | The median urinary concentrations of BPA were found to be significantly higher in the PT group compared to the healthy control group, weak positive correlation between uterus volume, estradiol and luteinizing hormone [265] |
| BPA, phthalates | Urine from mothers during first, second, and third trimesters of pregnancy. | 120 female prepubertal subjects | Phthalate metabolites were associated with higher serum testosterone concentrations in prepuberty while a number of metabolites measured in the third trimester were associated with higher DHEA-S. MEHP levels across pregnancy were associated with lower odds of having a Tanner Stage >1 for breast development, while MEHP in the third trimester was associated with higher odds of having a Tanner Stage for pubic hair development >1 [266] |
| BPA | Urine | 268 infertile women diagnosed with PCOS | BPA was detected in all women. Increased BPA correlated with decreased antral follicle count and was negatively associated with AMH and day-3 FSH levels, but neither of these reached statistical significance [267] |
| BPA | Urine | 256 women | No associations between urinary BPA concentrations and IVF outcome [268] |
| BPA | Urine | 143 patients with endometriosis, 287 healthy women | No associations between BPA concentrations and endometriosis. Positive association with non-ovarian pelvic endometriosis [269] |
| Phthalate metabolites, BPA | Urine | 221 women | BPA and MCOP (or its precursors) were associated with shorter luteal phase. DEHP metabolites were associated with reduced early pregnancy loss [270] |
| Phthalate metabolites | Urine | 229 women | No significant association with MBP, MBzP and MEHP. Urinary concentration of MEP was associated with a decreased fecundity [271] |
| Phthalate metabolites | Urine | 128 women | Pregnancy loss was increased in women with urinary increase in MEHP [272] |
| Pesticides | Follicular fluid | 94 women of infertile couples | Higher concentrations of any studied PCBs and pesticides are associated with thinner endometrial thickness and affected embryological ICSI outcomes [273] |
| Dioxins, PCBs, PBDEs, PBBs, HBCDs, OC pesticides | Adipose tissue and serum samples | 55 patients and 44 healthy women | Significant associations between deep infiltrating endometriosis and adipose tissue levels of PCB, PBDE, PBB, benzenes and organochlorine pesticides [274] |
Abbreviations: BPA: Bisphenol A; DHEA-S: dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate; MEHP: monoethylhexyl phthalate; PCOS: Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome; AMH: Anti-Müllerian hormone; FSH: Follicle-Stimulating Hormone; IVF: in vitro fertilization; MEP: mono-ethyl phthalate; MBP: monobutyl phthalate; MBzP: monobenzyl phthalate; MCOP: monocarboxyoctyl phthalate; DEHP: di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate; ICSI: Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection; ART: assisted reproductive technologies; OCP: Oral contraceptive pill; PCBs: Polychlorinated biphenyls; PBDEs: Polybrominated diphenyl ethers; PBBs: polybrominated biphenyls; HBCDs: hexabromocyclododecanes; OC: organochlorine; POPs: Persistent organic pollutants; BFRs: Brominated flame retardants; PCDDs: polychlorinated dibenzodioxins.