Exposure to Persistent Organic Pollutants and Severity of Endometriosis in the ComPaRe-Endometriosis Cohort

Plain-language summary

Endometriosis is a chronic inflammatory disease affecting \~10% of women of childbearing age. It is characterized by the presence of endometrial-like tissue outside the uterus, causing lesions and adhesions between the organs, and is often accompanied by intense pain and sometimes infertility. The four-stage classification based on the severity of lesions does not always reflect the severity of symptoms. Adenomyosis, a similar pathology, is often present in the same patients, although it is now considered distinct from endometriosis. Diagnosis usually takes a long time, with an average delay of 7 years. The cause of the disease remains unknown, but hormonal, genetic and environmental factors, such as exposure to endocrine disruptors, are suspected. Persistent organic pollutants (POPs), such as dioxins and PCBs, may influence the risk and severity of the disease. Although experimental studies suggest a link between these substances and the progression of endometriosis, epidemiological research on the subject is still limited. The central hypothesis of the POPENDO project is that higher concentrations of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are associated with increased severity of endometriosis. The aim of the study is to explore the associations between serum levels of four families of POPs (PCBs, organochlorine pesticides, PFAS and BFR) and endometriosis.

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