Urinary Bisphenol A Concentrations and Parameters of Ovarian Reserve among Women from a Fertility Clinic.

BACKGROUND: Human exposure to environmentally widespread endocrine disruptors, especially bisphenol A (BPA), has been suggested to affect reproductive health. Animal studies indicate that BPA may play a role in the process of reproduction and impact on maturing oocytes, meiotic cell division or fertilization rate. Nevertheless, data regarding the effects of exposure to BPA on women's ovarian function are still limited. Therefore, the aim of the current study is to assess the effects of environmental exposure to BPA on ovarian reserve. METHODS: The study participants consisted of 511 women in reproductive age (25-39 years) who attended an infertility clinic for diagnosis, due to the couples' infertility. BPA urinary concentrations were assessed by the validated gas chromatography ion-trap mass spectrometry method. The ovarian reserve was assessed using ovarian reserve parameters: Hormones concentrations: E2 (estradiol), FSH (follicle stimulating hormone), AMH (anti-Müllerian hormone), and AFC (antral follicle count). RESULTS: In the present study, the negative association between BPA urinary concentrations and AMH (p = 0.02) and AFC (p = 0.03) levels was found. Exposure to BPA was not related to other examined parameters of ovarian reserve (FSH, E2). CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that BPA exposure may affect women ovarian reserve parameters and reduce ovarian reserve. As this is one of the first studies of its kind, the findings need confirmation in a further investigation.

Exposure to pyrethroid pesticides and ovarian reserve.

INTRODUCTION: Synthetic pyretroids are among the most common pesticides currently used worldwide. Animal studies suggest that exposure to pyrethroids could dysregulated the function of the ovary, mainly follicular development and/or synthesis of the reproductive hormone. Nevertheless data regarding the effect of exposure on female ovarian function is limited. So the aim of the present study is to assess the effect of exposure to synthetic pyrethroids on ovarian reserve. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study population consists of 511 females aged 25-39 years attending infertility clinics for diagnostic purposes, because of couples' infertility. Validated gas chromatography ion-tap mass spectrometry method was used to assess the urinary concentrations of pyrethroid metabolites (CDDCA (cis-3-(2,2-dichlorovinyl)-2,2-dimethylcyclopropane carboxylic acid), TDDCA (trans-3-(2,2-dichlorovinyl)-2,2-dimethylcyclopropane carboxylic acid), 3PBA (3-phenoxybenzoic acid) and DBCA (cis-2,2-dibromovinyl-2,2-dimethylcyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid)). Ovarian reserve was assessed using parameters of ovarian reserve (antral follicle count and concentrations of hormones: AMH (anti-Mullerian hormone), FSH (follicle stimulating hormone) and E2 (estradiol)). RESULTS: In the present analysis the association was found between urinary concentrations of 3-PBA and levels of AMH (p = 0.03), FSH (p = 0.04) and antral follicle count (p = 0.02). Urinary level of CDCCA, TDCCA and DBCA was not associated with any examined parameters of ovarian reserve. CONCLUSIONS: Synthetic pyrethroids may affect female ovarian reserve. As this is the first, preliminary study the results need confirmation in a further detailed investigations.

Parameters of ovarian reserve in relation to urinary concentrations of parabens.

BACKGROUND: Parabens are synthetic chemicals commonly used in cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, food and beverage processing as antimicrobial preservatives. In experimental animals, parabens exposure was associated with adverse effects on female reproduction. Despite the widespread use of parabens little is known about their effect on female fecundity. The objective of the current analysis was to evaluate the associations of urinary parabens concentrations with parameters of ovarian reserve among women undergoing treatment in a fertility clinic. METHODS: Five hundred eleven female aged 25-39 years who attended the infertility clinic in central region of Poland for diagnostic purposes were recruited between September 2014 and February 2019. Urinary concentrations of parabens were measured by a validated gas chromatograohy ion-tap mass spectrometry method. Parameters of ovarian reserve were: antral follicle count (AFC), anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and estradiol (E2) levels. RESULTS: The geometric mean of specific gravity adjusted urinary concentrations of methyl (MP), ethyl (EP), propyl (PP), butyl (BP) and izobutyl paraben (iBuP) were 107.93 µg/L, 12.9 µg/L, 18.67 µg/L, 5.02 µg/L and 2.80 µg/L. Urinary concentrations of PP in the third quartile of exposure ((50-75] percentyl) were inversely associated with antral follicle count (p = 0.048), estradiol level (p = 0.03) and positively with FSH concentration (p = 0.026). MP, EP, BP and iBuP parabens were not associated any with parameters of ovarian reserve. CONCLUSIONS: Chronic exposure to PP may potentially contributing to reduced fecundity and impair fertility. As this is one of the first study to investigate the potential effect of parabens on ovarian reserve further epidemiological studies with longer duration of observation are needed.

Triclosan exposure and ovarian reserve.

The objective of the current analysis was to investigate the associations of urinary triclosan concentrations with parameters of ovarian reserve. Five hundred eleven female aged 25-39 years who attended the infertility clinic for diagnostic purposes were recruited. Urinary concentrations of triclosan were measured by a validated gas chromatograohy ion-tap mass spectrometry method. Parameters of ovarian reserve were: antral follicle count (AFC), anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and estradiol (E2) levels. Urinary concentrations of triclosan decrease antral follicle count. There were no statistically significant associations between other parameters of ovarian reserve (estradiol, FSH and AMH levels) and triclosan concentrations. Triclosan exposure may negatively affect antral follicle count, a marker of ovarian reserve. As the data on triclosan exposure and ovarian reserve are scarce additional study is needed to confirm the results.

Exposure to modern, widespread environmental endocrine disrupting chemicals and their effect on the reproductive potential of women: an overview of current epidemiological evidence.

Growing evidence indicates that exposure to widespread, environmental contaminants called endocrine disruptors (EDCs) negatively affects animal and human reproductive health and has been linked to several diseases including infertility. This review aims to evaluate the impact of environmental exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals [phthalates, parabens, triclosan, bisphenol A (BPA), organochlorine (PCBs) and perfluorinated (PFCs) compounds] on the reproductive potential among women, by reviewing most recently published literature. Epidemiological studies focusing on EDCs exposure and reproductive potential among women for the last 16 years were identified by a search of the PUBMED, MEDLINE, EBSCO and TOXNET literature databases. The results of the presented studies show that exposure to EDCs impacts the reproductive potential in women, measured by ovarian reserve and by assisted reproductive technology outcomes. Exposure to environmental endocrine disrupting chemicals decrease: (i) oestradiol levels (BPA); (ii) anti-Müllerian hormone concentrations (PCBs); (iii) antral follicle count (BPA, parabens, phthalates); (iv) oocyte quality (BPA, triclosan, phthalates, PCBs); (v) fertilization rate (PFCs, PCBs); (vi) implantation (BPA, phthalates, PCBs); (vii) embryo quality (triclosan, PCBs, BPA); (viii) rate of clinical pregnancy and live births (parabens, phthalates). The studies were mostly well-designed and used prospective cohorts with the exposure assessment based on the biomarker of exposure. Considering the suggested health effects, more epidemiological data is urgently needed to confirm the presented findings.

Environmental exposure to non-persistent endocrine disrupting chemicals and semen quality: An overview of the current epidemiological evidence

Some of the recent publications have reported a decline in semen quality in the last few decades. This phenomenon is associated with environmental factors, particularly with exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs). The aim of this publication is to critically review the literature on exposure to the following 6 ubiquitous environmental non-persistent EDCs: bisphenol A, triclosan, parabens, synthetic pyrethroids, organophosphate pesticides and phthalates, and on their influence on semen quality measured as sperm concentration, sperm volume, total sperm count, motility, total motile count, morphology, sperm motion, sperm DNA damage (comet extent, tail length, tail distributed moment, percent of DNA located in the tail (tail%), DNA fragmentation index, high DNA stainability, X:Y ratio and aneuploidy. Several electronic databases were systematically searched until 31 August 2016. Studies were qualified for the review if they: linked environmental exposure to non-persistent EDCs to semen quality outcomes, were published in English after 2006 (and, in the case of phthalates, if they were published after 2009) and were conducted in the case of humans. Out of the 970 references, 45 articles were included in the review. This review adds to the body of evidence that exposure to non-persistent EDCs may affect semen quality parameters and decrease semen quality. Int J Occup Med Environ Health 2018;31(4):377­414

The first trimester aneuploidy biochemical markers in IVF/ICSI patients have no additional benefit compared to spontaneous conceptions in the prediction of pregnancy complications.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to determine if the levels of biochemical aneuploidy markers in in vitro fertilisation (IVF)/intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) pregnancies differ from those in spontaneous pregnancies and to verify if biochemical markers could predict pregnancy outcome in IVF/ICSI gestations. METHODS: This was a prospective observational study performed in a group of 551 patients who underwent a combined first trimester prenatal screening (ultrasound scan and serum markers). All patients were divided into two groups according to the mode of conception: IVF/ICSI pregnancies (study group) and spontaneous conceptions (control group). The concentrations of first trimester biochemical markers were presented as multiples of median (MoM) and were compared between the study and control groups. Analysed pregnancy complications included: preterm delivery (PTD), small for gestational age (SGA), gestational hypertension (GH), preeclampsia (PE) and gestational diabetes (GDM). RESULTS: The analysis was performed on 183 IVF/ICSI and 368 spontaneously conceived gestations, with complete data regarding obstetric outcome. There were no significant differences in the concentrations of biochemical markers between the analysed groups. Pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A (PAPP-A) levels were lower in hypertensive than in normotensive patients, although the difference was not significant. Twenty-three patients had GDM (12.5%), 16 had GH or PE (8.7%), SGA was diagnosed in 18 (9.8%) and 25 delivered preterm (13.6%). CONCLUSIONS: The trend for lower PAPP-A MoM was visible in all affected patients, although the results did not reach statistical significance. The first trimester biochemical markers in assisted reproduction technique (ART) pregnancies do not seem to have additional effect on predicting the risk of pregnancy complications.

Human Semen Quality, Sperm DNA Damage, and the Level of Reproductive Hormones in Relation to Urinary Concentrations of Parabens.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between environmental exposure to parabens and semen quality parameters [main semen parameters, computer-aided semen analysis (CASA parameters], sperm chromatin structure, and the level of reproductive hormones in men [follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), testosterone, estradiol]. METHODS: Urine samples collected from 315 men who attended the infertility clinic for diagnostic purposes with normal semen concentration of 15 to 300 mln/mL were analyzed for five parabens concentrations using a validated gas chromatography ion-tap mass spectrometry method. Participants were interviewed and also provided a semen, saliva, and blood samples. RESULTS: Urinary parabens concentrations were significantly associated with an increase in the percentage of sperm with abnormal morphology, in sperm with high DNA stainability and a decrease in the percentage of motility and testosterone level. CONCLUSIONS: This is one of the first study on this topic, so the observation of the relationship between parabens and semen quality warrants further investigation.