IS BISPHENOL A EXPOSURE ASSOCIATED WITH UTERINE LEIOMYOMA IN WESTERN ALGERIAN WOMEN OF CHILDBEARING POTENTIAL?

Introduction: Uterine leiomyoma is one of the most frequent gynecological benign tumors affecting female population with serious consequences on fertility and life quality. Although the etiology remains unclear, endocrine disrupting chemicals such as bisphenol A (BPA) may be a potential initiator for tumorgenesis. The present study aims to explore the association between uterine leiomyoma and BPA plasma levels in a population of Algerian women.

Methods: A total of 80 plasma samples were collected from women with confirmed uterine fibroids diagnosis (N=40) and healthy volunteers without uterine leiomyomas (N=40) recruited at the specialized hospital of gynecology and obstetrics of Sidi Bel Abbès in the western region of Algeria. Uterine leiomyoma subjects were then grouped according to tumor growth and severity. BPA plasma levels were detected and measured using an enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) technique.

Results: Seventy five percent of uterine leiomyoma patients were exposed to BPA and were principally young nulliparous women aged from 31 to 40 years expressing a significantly higher plasma BPA levels than controls (0.89 ± 1.65 vs 0.05 ± 0.12 ng/mL; P=0.0001). Regarding to the relationship between tumor growth and BPA levels, even though mean concentration was slightly higher in severe group than moderate group, the difference was statistically insignificant (P=0.97).

Conclusion: These preliminary results suggest an association between environmental exposure to BPA and the occurrence of uterine fibroids among Algerian female population of child-bearing age. Nevertheless, further studies on larger populations are required to confirm these findings.