Abstract Title:

Urinary Paraben Concentrations and Ovarian Aging among Women from a Fertility Center.

Abstract Source:

Environ Health Perspect. 2013 Aug 2. Epub 2013 Aug 2. PMID: 23912598

Abstract Author(s):

Kristen W Smith, Irene Souter, Irene Dimitriadis, Shelley Ehrlich, Paige L Williams, Antonia M Calafat, Russ Hauser

Article Affiliation:

Department of Environmental Health, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.

Abstract:

BACKGROUND: Parabens are preservatives commonly used in personal care products, pharmaceuticals, and foods. There is documented widespread human exposure to parabens, and some experimental data suggesting they act as estrogenic endocrine disruptors. As far as we are aware, no epidemiologic studies have assessed female reproductive health effects in relation to paraben exposure.

OBJECTIVE: Evaluate the association of urinary paraben concentrations with markers of ovarian reserve in a prospective cohort study of women seeking fertility treatment at Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA.

METHODS: Measures of ovarian reserve were day 3 follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), antral follicle count (AFC), and ovarian volume. In spot urine samples, collected prior to the assessment of outcome measures, we measured paraben concentrations (methyl-(MP), propyl-(PP), and butyl-paraben (BP)). We used linear and Poisson regression models to estimate associations of urinary paraben concentrations (in tertiles) with ovarian reserve measures.

RESULTS: 192 women enrolled in 2004-2010 had at least one ovarian reserve outcome measured (mean age±SD =36.1 ±4.5, range=21.0-46.7 years). MP and PP were detected in>99% of urine samples, and BP in>75%. There was a suggestive trend of lower AFC with increasing urinary PP tertiles (mean % change (95% CI) for tertiles 2 and 3, compared to tertile 1, respectively, were: -5.0 (-23.7, 18.4) and -16.3 (-30.8, 1.3), trend p-value=0.07) as well as higher day 3 FSH with higher urinary PP tertiles (mean change (95% CI) for tertiles 2 and 3, compared to tertile 1, were: 1.16 IU/L (-0.26, 2.57) and 1.02 IU/L (-0.40, 2.43), trend p-value=0.16). There was no consistent evidence of associations between urinary MP or BP and day 3 FSH or AFC, or between urinary MP, PP, or BP and ovarian volume.

CONCLUSIONS: Propyl-paraben may be associated with diminished ovarian reserve. However, our results require confirmation in further studies.

Study Type : Human Study

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