PCBs May Impede IVF Success: Failed Embryo Implantation Linked to Exposure

Abstract

Vol. 119, No. 7 News | Science SelectionsOpen AccessPCBs May Impede IVF Success: Failed Embryo Implantation Linked to Exposureis accompanied bySerum Concentrations of Polychlorinated Biphenyls in Relation to in Vitro Fertilization Outcomes Julia R. Barrett Julia R. Barrett Search for more papers by this author Published:1 July 2011https://doi.org/10.1289/ehp.119-a307aCited by:1AboutSectionsPDF ToolsDownload CitationsTrack Citations ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InReddit Although banned from production in the United States and other developed countries in the late 1970s, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) remain widespread environmental contaminants found in measurable amounts in the general population. These compounds have been linked to longer time to pregnancy and increased pregnancy loss in both epidemiologic and experimental research. A new study pinpoints failed embryo implantation in the uterus as a possible mechanism for these outcomes [EHP 119(7):1010–1016; Meeker et al.].Between 1994 and 2003, 2,350 Boston-area couples undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) were recruited for a study of predictors of IVF outcomes. Study participants included women who underwent embryo transfer and did not become pregnant, those who had a positive pregnancy test but no fetal development (known as a “chemical pregnancy”), those who became pregnant and had a miscarriage (pregnancy loss before 20 weeks), and those who had a live birth. The study included 765 women and 827 IVF cycles resulting in 229 implantation failures, 177 chemical pregnancies, 124 miscarriages, and 297 live births.Prior to their first IVF cycle, the women provided blood samples for measurement of PCBs, including 57 individual congeners. IVF outcome was assessed against concentrations of three individual PCB congeners (PCBs 118, 138, and 153), all PCBs combined (ΣPCBs), and three separate PCB groupings (groups 1–3) based on structure and biological activity.None of the individual PCBs or PCB groupings were associated with chemical pregnancy or spontaneous abortion. However, significant trends emerged for failed implantation and reduced odds of a live birth. PCB 153 and ΣPCBs were both dose-dependently associated with failed implantation, with the odds doubled in the highest quartile of exposure (> 0.34 ng/g and > 1.81 ng/g, respectively) versus the lowest (≤ 0.16 ng/g and ≤ 0.32 ng/g, respectively).Women with PCB 118 and group 3 congener concentrations above the lowest quartile also were more likely to have a failed implantation than women with the lowest exposures, although the associations did not increase with each increase in dose. Odds of a live birth were lower for women in the highest versus lowest quartiles of PCB 153 and ΣPCB exposure, while PCB 118 and group 2 and 3 congeners were associated with smaller nonsignificant reductions in live births.The study has several strengths, including its prospective design and PCB measurement at the start of attempted pregnancy. However, unknown confounding factors, additional reproduction-related end points for PCB toxicity, relevance of these results to women not undergoing IVF, and a lack of data on male factors are gaps that need to be filled in future studies.FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsCited By Qu X, Ming-Zhang , Yuan-Fang , Wang H and Zhang Y (2017) Effect of 2,3′,4,4′,5-Pentachlorobiphenyl Exposure on Endometrial Receptivity and the Methylation of HOXA10, Reproductive Sciences, 10.1177/1933719117711258, 25:2, (256-268), Online publication date: 1-Feb-2018. Related articlesSerum Concentrations of Polychlorinated Biphenyls in Relation to in Vitro Fertilization OutcomesFeb 24, 2011, 12:00:00 AMEnvironmental Health Perspectives Vol. 119, No. 7 July 2011Metrics About Article Metrics Publication History Originally published1 July 2011Published in print1 July 2011 Financial disclosuresPDF download License information EHP is an open-access journal published with support from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health. All content is public domain unless otherwise noted. Note to readers with disabilities EHP strives to ensure that all journal content is accessible to all readers. However, some figures and Supplemental Material published in EHP articles may not conform to 508 standards due to the complexity of the information being presented. If you need assistance accessing journal content, please contact [email protected]. Our staff will work with you to assess and meet your accessibility needs within 3 working days.