Serum bisphenol S levels are associated with decreased ovarian reserve function: a single-center study

Bisphenol A (BPA) is a representative environmental estrogen that is known to impair the function of the female reproductive system by affecting steroid hormones. However, not much research has been done on bisphenol S (BPS), which is an analogue of BPA and has been found in humans.

We retrospectively studied 152 female volunteers at childbearing age who came to the Shandong Provincial Reproductive Medicine Center between January 2018 and January 2023. Anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and estradiol (E2) were used as indicators of their ovarian reserve function. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to quantify the concentration of Bisabolol S in the serum of the enrolled volunteers. Linear regression models and logistic regression models were used to assess the relationship between urinary Bisphenol S levels and ovarian reserve indicators and decrease ovarian reserve (DOR) indicators, respectively. Restricted cubic spline (RCS) models were further used to explore potential non-linear associations.

The results showed that serum Bisabolol S levels were negatively correlated with AMH and E2 levels and positively correlated with FSH levels. After the volunteers were grouped and analysed according to the DOR diagnostic criteria,the serum BPA content in the DOR group was significantly higher than that in the non-DOR group (P < 0.05). Compared with the non-DOR group, the levels of anti-Müller test tube hormone (AMH) and estrogen (E2) were lower in the DOR group and the level of FSH was higher (P < 0.05). The serum BPS content in the DOR group was negatively correlated with AMH and E2. The concentration of FSH in women in the DOR group increased when the serum BPS content was also increased.

Serum BPS is a potential risk factor for ovarian reserve function in women of reproductive age.