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2.12 Endometriosis [Summary]
Literature survey concerning epidemiology of endocrine
disruptors (except dioxins) and endometriosis was performed.
Searching the PubMed database retrieved 3 case-control studies
and a synchronic study published up to Dec. 31, 2000, and a
case-control study and a synchronic study thereafter. No
Japanese subject was studied in them. The two synchronic studies
on prenatal DES exposure reported higher incidence rates for the
exposed groups. Five small-scale case-control studies on
compounds other than DES were found. Results were inconclusive
in that serum PCB increase was observed by some of them but not
by others. Epidemiologic findings are so few that it is
difficult to evaluate the causality at present.
[Purpose]
Some organochlorine compounds, including PCBs, have
estrogen-like activities, and have been suggested as factors
involved in female endocrine-related cancer (breast and uterine
body cancer) and endometriosis. Since Rier (1993) reported
dose-dependent increase of endometriosis incidence in rhesus
monkeys fed with dioxin-containing foods, endometriosis has
particularly been suspected to be related to dioxins and other
chemicals (Zeyneloglu, 1997). Literature was reviewed to
summarize the current status of epidemiologic studies on
association of organochlorines (except dioxins) or other
substances with endometriosis.
[Method]
The PubMed database (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi)
provided by National Library of Medicine was searched with a
strategy " endometriosis AND ( Insecticides OR Pesticides OR
Chlorinated Hydrocarbons OR PCBs OR Bisphenol OR Phenol OR
Phthalate OR Styrene OR Furan OR Organotin OR Diethylstilbestrol
OR Ethinyl Estradioldioxins)" for a period up to Oct. 31, 2004.
From among the 172 citations retrieved, original papers
reporting epidemiologic studies on human populations were
selected, and other articles cited in these papers or past
reviews were added.
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