Assessment of the endocrine disruptor bisphenol a levels in polycystic ovary syndrome

Abstract

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), traditionally known as a common reproductive disorder with a variety of clinical manifestations such as menstrual irregularities, signs of androgen excess, and infertility, is now considered not only as an endocrine disorder but also as a heterogeneous syndrome and many etiologic hypotheses including the enviromental components have been proposed. The aim of the study is to assess a widely used industrial compound, the endocrine disruptor bisphenol A levels in women with PCOS. Case-control study A total of 80 women with PCOS and 40 age and body mass index (BMI) matched healthy controls were enrolled. Clinical, hormonal and metabolic parameters in addition to bisphenol A serum levels were compared between the groups. Student's t-test or Mann-Whitney U-test was used for comparisons of the mean between the two groups, as appropriate. Correlation analyses were performed by using Pearson’s and Spearman’s correlation methods. Bisphenol A levels were significantly higher in the PCOS group compared with the control group (0.21±0.17 ng/ml vs 0.10 ±0.07 ng/ml, respectively; p<0.001). There was no statistically significant difference between the groups in terms of age, BMI, waist/hip ratio, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, triglyceride levels, homoeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) and free androgen index (FAI). Systolic and diastolic blood pressures were significantly higher in the PCOS group compared with the controls. Bisphenol A levels were found to be positively correlated with HOMA-IR (r=0.333, p<0.01) in women with PCOS. Women with PCOS have significantly higher seum bisphenol A levels than the controls. The significant correlation between Bisphenol A levels and HOMA-IR in PCOS subjects provides evidence that Bisphenol A may play an important role in the pathophysiology of PCOS; however, further studies are needed.