Korean J Occup Environ Med.
2000 Mar;12(1):81-92.
Adipose Tissue and Serum Levels of PCBs and DDE in Women with Gynecologic Benign Disease
Abstract
OBJECTIVES
This study was purposed to determine the levels of PCBs and DDE
in adipose tissue and serum and to evaluate the relations with factors affecting these levels.
METHODS
We analyzed adipose tissues and sera from 52 gynecologic benign disease patients aged
27-78 years, except hormonal diseases such as breast cancer and endometriosis. We also surveyed age,
education, occupation, body mass index (BMI), smoking, drinking, number of children, and duration of
breastfeeding by questionnaires. Tissue and serum levels of PCBs and DDE were measured using gas chromatography.
RESULTS
The median and geometric mean levels of PCBs were 48. 29 ng/g, 56. 78 ng/g for adipose tissue
and 4. 67 uc/L, 4. 85 m/L for serum, and those of DDE were 142.89 ng/g, 117.06 ng/g for adipose tissue
and l. 75 m/L, 2.09 ua/L for serum, respectively. Adipose tissue and serum levels for DDE showed high
correlation (r=0. 310, p=0. 0002), but those of PCBs didn' t (r=0.029, p=0.2582). In analyses of the
differences of the means of log transformed adipose tissue and serum PCBs and DDE levels for groups
of potential covariates, only adipose tissue DDE levels were significantly associated with number of
children (p=0.015), age at first birth (p=0.014) and BMI (p=0.035). In multiple regression analysis,
adipose tissue DDE levels were significantly increased with decreasing number of children and increasing
age at first birth.
CONCLUSIONS
This study suggested that parity and adiposity were associated with
levels of DDE in adipose tissue, and adipose tissue is a better biomarker than serum for evaluating the
long-term exposure of organochlorines.