Association of Hexachlorobenzene (HCB), Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT), and Dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (DDE) with in Vitro Fertilization (IVF) Outcomes

Abstract

Background: Hexachlorobenzene (HCB), dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT), and dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (DDE) are persistent chlorinated pesticides with endocrine activity that may adversely affect the early stages of human reproduction.Objective: Our goal was to determine the association of serum levels of HCB, DDT, and DDE with implantation failure, chemical pregnancy, and spontaneous abortion in women undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) from 1994 to 2003.Methods: Levels of HCB and congeners of DDT and DDE were measured in serum collected during the follicular phase. Multivariable-adjusted statistical models accommodating multiple outcomes and multiple cycles per woman were used to estimate the relation between serum pesticide levels and IVF outcomes.Results: A total of 720 women with a mean ± SD age 35.4 ± 4.2 years at enrollment contributed 774 IVF cycles. All samples had detectable levels of HCB, DDT, and DDE, with median levels of 0.087 ng/g serum for HCB, 1.12 ng/g serum for total DDT, and 1.04 ng/g serum for p,p´-DDE. Compared with the lowest quartile (Q1) of HCB, the lipid- and multivariable-adjusted odds ratio (OR) for failed implantation was significantly elevated for those with higher HCB quartiles [Q2–Q4; adjusted ORs: for Q2, 1.71; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.03, 2.82; for Q3, 2.30; 95% CI: 1.39, 3.81; for Q4, 2.32; 95% CI: 1.38, 3.90] and showed a significantly increasing trend (p = 0.001). No statistically significant associations were observed between DDT/DDE and IVF outcomes or between HCB and chemical pregnancy or spontaneous abortion.Conclusions: Serum HCB concentrations were on average lower than that of the general U.S. population and associated with failed implantation among women undergoing IVF.

Persistent Environmental Pollutants and Couple Fecundity: The LIFE Study

“…Our findings are relatively consistent with studies of women undergoing assisted reproductive technologies that can examine associations with early reproductive outcomes (e.g., fertilization, cleavage, implantation) that are not observable in the general population. For example, evidence of negative associations between TTP and serum concentrations of HCB and PCB 118 in women is consistent with findings for implantation failures associated with these exposures among women undergoing assisted reproductive technologies (Mahalingaiah et al 2012; Meeker et al 2011). Although speculative, these findings suggest that associations between these chemicals and longer TTPs may reflect, in part, diminished implantation success.…”

Novel Physiology and Definition of Poor Ovarian Response; Clinical Recommendations

“…Environmental contaminants might also affect ovarian response during OS [29][30][31]. Thus, Alviggi et al in a retrospective study showed that elevated intrafollicular levels of benzene were associated with a decreased number of oocytes retrieved and embryos available for transfer [29], and it is currently believed that benzene leads to transduction deficiency in the FSHR.…”

Exposure to Power-Frequency Magnetic Fields and the Risk of Infertility and Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes: Update on the Human Evidence and Recommendations for Future Study Designs

“…Due to the ART clinic population’s higher frequency of infertility issues relative to the general population, these clinics provide a setting in which to conduct such studies with reliable statistical power. Persons seeking treatment at ART clinics have already served as study populations in epidemiology investigations designed to determine potential adverse effects of exposures to chemicals on female (Ehrlich et al, 2012; Johnson et al, 2012; Mahalingaiah et al, 2012) and male reproductive health (Dodge et al 2015; Meeker et al 2010; 2011). Recent evidence also suggests that it is similarly feasible to recruit women and men from infertility clinics to participate in longitudinal investigations of magnetic field exposure and reproductive health (EPRI, 2012; Lewis et al, 2015b).…”