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. 2010 May 10:9:22.
doi: 10.1186/1476-069X-9-22.

Fetal loss and maternal serum levels of 2,2',4,4',5,5'-hexachlorbiphenyl (CB-153) and 1,1-dichloro-2,2-bis(p-chlorophenyl)ethylene (p,p'-DDE) exposure: a cohort study in Greenland and two European populations

Gunnar Toft  1 , Ane M Thulstrup, Bo A Jönsson, Henning S Pedersen, Jan K Ludwicki, Valentyna Zvezday, Jens P Bonde
Affiliations

Fetal loss and maternal serum levels of 2,2',4,4',5,5'-hexachlorbiphenyl (CB-153) and 1,1-dichloro-2,2-bis(p-chlorophenyl)ethylene (p,p'-DDE) exposure: a cohort study in Greenland and two European populations

Gunnar Toft et al. Environ Health. .

Abstract

Background: In the present study, the aim is to examine the risk of fetal loss related to environmental 2,2',4,4',5,5'-hexachlorobiphenyl (CB-153) or 1,1-dichloro-2,2-bis(p-chlorophenyl)ethylene (p,p'-DDE) exposure.

Methods: We related LC/MS/MS measurements of CB-153 and p,p'-DDE in serum samples to interview-data on previous fetal loss in populations of pregnant women from Poland, Ukraine and Greenland.

Results: In total, 1710 women were interviewed, and 678 of these had at least one previous pregnancy. The risk of ever experiencing a fetal loss increased at higher levels of CB-153 and p,p'-DDE exposure, with an adjusted odds ratio (OR) of 2.4; confidence interval (CI) (1.1-5.5) for CB-153>200 ng/g lipid compared to 0-25 ng CB-153/g lipid and OR of 2.5 CI (0.9-6.6) for p,p'-DDE>1500 ng/g lipid compared to 0-250 ng DDE/g lipid. However, no clear dose response associations were observed. The results further suggest that high level of organochlorine serum concentrations may be related to repeated loss.

Conclusions: The risk of fetal loss may increase at higher levels of CB-153 and p,p'-DDE exposure, although lack of dose response and inconsistencies between countries did not allow for firm conclusions.

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