Objective: To determine concentrations of environmental estrogens, antiandrogens, and organochlorine compounds in human endometrium and body fat.
Design: Cross-sectional, population-based study.
Setting: Patient recruitment was done at a university hospital; chemical analysis was performed in a specialized private laboratory.
Patient(s): Premenopausal, unexposed women undergoing hysterectomy for uterine myoma.
Intervention(s): None.
Main outcome measure(s): Concentrations of environmental modulators in human endometrium and body fat were quantified by high-resolution gas chromatography/high-resolution mass spectrometry.
Result(s): Among known endocrine modulators, the antiandrogenic p, p'-dichlorodiphenyl-dichloroethylene was found in the highest concentrations in endometrium (median 4.7 microg/kg wet weight) and body fat (median 446 microg/kg wet weight). Only trace amounts of the identified environmental estrogens beta-hexachlorocyclohexane, o, p'-dichlorodiphenyl-trichloroethane, bisphenol A, hydroxylated polychlorinated biphenyls, and genistein were found in the endometrium (median <1 microg/kg wet weight). As major organochlorine contaminants without endocrine activities, polychlorinated biphenyls and hexachlorobenzene were found.
Conclusion(s): Our data demonstrate that nonchlorinated environmental estrogens do not build up cumulative tissue concentrations in the endometrium. The risk of reduced fertility because of ambient levels of environmental estrogens in the endometrium is negligible.