Premature ovarian insufficiency associated with environmental chemical exposure among Korean women: a study based on the Korean National Environmental Health Survey (2009-2012)

초록

BackgroundAs the prevalence of premature ovarian insufficiency (POI) continues to increase, exposure to environmental chemicals is being discussed as one factors causing POI but the vast majority of POI is idiopathic and the mechanisms are not clear. The purpose of this study is to explore the association between environmental chemicals and POI using data from the Korean National Environmental Health Survey (KoNEHS) collected between 2009 and 2012.ObjectivesThis study aims to demonstrate a correlation between EDCs and Premature Ovarian Insufficiency in Korean women.ResultsThe POI group shows higher concentrations of two phthalates, including metabolite-mono-n-butyl phthalate (MnBP) and mono-2-ethyl-5-hydroxyl phthalate (MEOHP), and urinary mercury than does the non-POI group. The POI group also shows significantly higher crustacean consumption and frozen food consumption. Using logistic regression analysis on metabolite of environmental pollutant and, lifestyle factors and dietary habits, the POI group varies significantly from the non-POI group only in metabolite-mono-n-butyl phthalate (MnBP).ConclusionsOur study shows relationships between exposure to environmental chemicals and POI in spite of low exposure levels, suggesting that exposure to environmental chemicals may affect the female reproductive system even under the human monitoring reference value (RV) threshold. Further study is needed to evaluate the causal relationship between low level chemical exposure and women's health.

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