TY - JOUR
T1 - Serum dioxin concentrations and menstrual cycle characteristics
AU - Eskenazi, Brenda
AU - Warner, Marcella
AU - Mocarelli, Paolo
AU - Samuels, Steven
AU - Needham, Larry L.
AU - Patterson, Donald G.
AU - Lippman, Sheri
AU - Vercellini, Paolo
AU - Gerthoux, Pier Mario
AU - Brambilla, Paolo
AU - Olive, David
N1 - Funding Information:
This study was supported by grants R01 ES07171 and F06 TW02075-01 from the US National Institutes of Health (Bethesda, Maryland), grant R82471 from the US Environmental Protection Agency (Washington, DC), grant EAM1977 from the Endometriosis Association (Milwaukee, Wisconsin), grant 2P30-ESO01896-17 from the US National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (Research Triangle Park, North Carolina), and grant 2896 from Regione Lombardia and Fondazione Lombardia Ambiente (Milan, Italy).
PY - 2002/8/15
Y1 - 2002/8/15
N2 - 2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) is a widespread industrial environmental contaminant. Animal studies suggest that TCDD exposure alters the estrus cycle. Twenty years after a 1976 industrial explosion in Seveso, Italy, the authors interviewed female residents to determine whether there was an association between TCDD exposure and current menstrual cycle characteristics. The authors analyzed serum samples collected soon after the explosion to quantify individual TCDD levels. Among women who were premenarcheal at the time of the explosion, a 10-fold increase in serum TCDD level was associated with a lengthening of the menstrual cycle by 0.93 days (95% confidence interval (CI): -0.01, 1.86) and a reduction in the odds of scanty menstrual flow (adjusted odds ratio = 0.33, 95% CI: 0.10, 1.06). However, among women who were postmenarcheal at the time of the explosion, TCDD was not associated with menstrual cycle length (adjusted β = -0.03 days, 95% CI: -0.61, 0.54) or scantiness of flow (adjusted odds ratio = 1.36, 95% CI: 0.70, 2.64). In both menarche groups, TCDD levels were associated with decreased odds of having irregular cycles (adjusted odds ratio = 0.46, 95% CI: 0.23, 0.95) but were not related to days of flow (adjusted β = 0.16 days, 95% CI: -0.08, 0.41). These results are consistent with effects of TCDD on ovarian function noted in some animal species and with greater sensitivity to TCDD during development.
AB - 2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) is a widespread industrial environmental contaminant. Animal studies suggest that TCDD exposure alters the estrus cycle. Twenty years after a 1976 industrial explosion in Seveso, Italy, the authors interviewed female residents to determine whether there was an association between TCDD exposure and current menstrual cycle characteristics. The authors analyzed serum samples collected soon after the explosion to quantify individual TCDD levels. Among women who were premenarcheal at the time of the explosion, a 10-fold increase in serum TCDD level was associated with a lengthening of the menstrual cycle by 0.93 days (95% confidence interval (CI): -0.01, 1.86) and a reduction in the odds of scanty menstrual flow (adjusted odds ratio = 0.33, 95% CI: 0.10, 1.06). However, among women who were postmenarcheal at the time of the explosion, TCDD was not associated with menstrual cycle length (adjusted β = -0.03 days, 95% CI: -0.61, 0.54) or scantiness of flow (adjusted odds ratio = 1.36, 95% CI: 0.70, 2.64). In both menarche groups, TCDD levels were associated with decreased odds of having irregular cycles (adjusted odds ratio = 0.46, 95% CI: 0.23, 0.95) but were not related to days of flow (adjusted β = 0.16 days, 95% CI: -0.08, 0.41). These results are consistent with effects of TCDD on ovarian function noted in some animal species and with greater sensitivity to TCDD during development.
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U2 - 10.1093/aje/kwf046
DO - 10.1093/aje/kwf046
M3 - Article
C2 - 12181109
AN - SCOPUS:0037103381
SN - 0002-9262
VL - 156
SP - 383
EP - 392
JO - American journal of epidemiology
JF - American journal of epidemiology
IS - 4
ER -