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

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Author

Summary, in English

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.

Publishing year

2008

Language

English

Pages

193-200

Publication/Series

Human Reproduction

Volume

23

Issue

1

Document type

Journal article

Publisher

Oxford University Press

Topic

  • Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Medicine
  • Environmental Health and Occupational Health

Status

Published

Research group

  • Reproductive medicine, Malmö

ISBN/ISSN/Other

  • ISSN: 0268-1161