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Long-term Behavioral and Reproductive Consequences of Embryonic Exposure to Low-dose Toxicants
Published on: March 6, 2018
Exposure Profiles to Bisphenols and Their Impact on Reproductive and Thyroid Hormones in Pregnant Women
Abderrezak Khelfi1, Amira Zitout2, Housseyn Chekireb2
1University of Algiers, Algiers, Algeria; National Center of Toxicology, Algiers, Algeria.
Background:
Bisphenols are emerging pollutants of health concern. Exposure to bisphenols may impact hormone physiology, particularly during pregnancy, when the body is more vulnerable to disruptions.
Objective:
This study aimed to identify bisphenol exposure profiles in pregnant women and to explore associations between urinary levels of these compounds and disruptions in reproductive and thyroid hormone levels during pregnancy.
Methods:
This study was conducted on 384 pregnant women. After gathering the necessary information through a questionnaire, blood and urine samples were collected. Reproductive and thyroid hormones were measured by electrochemiluminescence, and bisphenols were detected by Liquid-chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS).
Results:
BPA, BPS, and BPF were detected in 95.3, 76.3, and 73.9% of the analyzed samples, respectively. The mean concentrations were 6.689, 1.135, and 1.013 µg/g of creatinine for BPA, BPS, and BPF, respectively. A significant positive association was found between plasma levels of estradiol and urinary concentrations of bisphenols, as well as between plasma levels of progesterone and prolactin and urinary concentrations of BPA. Disruption of testosterone levels was associated with elevated BPS concentrations. Besides, no significant association was found between urinary bisphenol concentrations and thyroid hormone levels. Regarding exposure sources, a significant association was observed between the use of fake nails and high urinary BPA concentrations.
Conclusion:
In this study, bisphenols were associated with altered levels of certain reproductive hormones during pregnancy. These changes could have adverse effects on maternal health and child development.
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