Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Urinary bisphenol-A concentration in infertile Japanese women and its association with endometriosis: A cross-sectional study

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine Aims and scope

Abstract

Objectives

Bisphenol A (BPA), a raw material commonly used in the manufacture of resins such as polycarbonate and epoxy, is a possible xenoestrogen that is hypothesized to disrupt the human endocrine system. Humans are widely exposed to BPA. We investigated the urinary concentration of BPA in infertile Japanese women and its possible association with endometriosis.

Materials and Methods

We recruited 166 women (aged 20–45) who had complained of infertility and visited a university hospital in Tokyo. The subjects were interviewed and their urine samples were obtained prior to a laparoscopic diagnosis of endometriosis between January 2000 and December 2001. Urinary total BPA concentration in 140 eligible urine samples was then measured using enzymatic deconjugation of glucuronide and sulfate and high-performance liquid chromatography isotope-dilution tandem mass spectrometry.

Results

Median (25th–75th percentile) unadjusted and creatinine-adjusted urinary BPA concentrations were 1.6 (0.69–2.8) μg/L and 0.80 (0.45–1.3) μg/g creatinine. No significant monotonic association of endometriosis with urinary BPA concentration was observed. Median urinary BPA concentration in women with stage 0–1 endometriosis (0.74 μg/g creatinine) did not significantly differ from that in those with stage II–IV endometriosis (0.93 μg/g creatinine) (p for difference=0.24).

Conclusions

This study, based on a larger number of samples than those in previous studies in Japan and using the most reliable analytical method currently available, showed that urinary concentrations of BPA in women who consulted a physician for infertility were not higher than those in other populations. Moreover, no association between urinary BPA concentration and endometriosis was found in this cross-sectional study.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Miyamoto K, Kotake M. Estimation of daily bisphenol A intake of Japanese individuals with emphasis on uncertainty and variability. Environ Sci. 2006;13:15–29.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. European Commission. 4,4′-isopropylidenediphenol (bisphenol-A). European Union risk assessment report. EUR 20843 EN; 2003.

  3. Miyamoto K, Kawasaki H. Risk assessment of bisphenol A. Tokyo: Maruzen Co., Ltd.; 2005. (Article in Japanese)

    Google Scholar 

  4. Japan Environment Agency. Strategic Programs on Environmental Endocrine Disruptors ’98 (SPEED ’98). http://www. env.go.jp/en/chemi/ed/speed98/sp98.html; 1998.

  5. Ministry of Environment. MOE’s Perspectives on Endocrine Disrupting Effects of Substances—ExTEND 2005—.http://www.env.go.jp/en/chemi/ed/extend2005_full.pdf; 2005.

  6. Kim YH, Kim CS, Park S, Han SY, Pyo MY, Yang M. Gender differences in the levels of bisphenol A metabolites in urine. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2003;312:441–448.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Ye X, Kuklenyik Z, Needham LL, Calafat AM. Quantification of urinary conjugates of bisphenol A, 2,5-dichlorophenol, and 2-hydroxy-4-methoxybenzophenone in humans by online solid phase extraction-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Anal Bioanal Chem. 2005;383:638–644.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Ouchi K, Watanabe S. Measurement of bisphenol A in human urine using liquid chromatography with multi-channel coulometric electrochemical detection. J Chromatogr B Analyt Technol Biomed Life Sci. 2002;780:365–370.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Fujimaki K, Arakawa C, Yoshinaga J, Watanabe C, Serizawa S, Imai H, et al. Estimation of intake level of bisphenol A in Japanese pregnant women based on measurement of urinary excretion level of the metabolite. Nippon Eiseigaku Zasshi. 2004;59:403–408. (Article in Japanese, with English abstract)

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Arakawa C, Fujimaki K, Yoshinaga J, Imai H, Serizawa S, Shiraishi H. Daily urinary excretion of bisphenol A. Environ Health Prevent Med. 2004;9:22–26.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. American Fertility Society. Revised American Fertility Society classification of endometriosis: 1985. Fertil Steril. 1985;43:351–352.

    Google Scholar 

  12. Tsukino H, Hanaoka T, Sasaki H, Motoyama, H, Hiroshima M, Tanaka T, et al. Associations between serum levels of selected organochlorine compounds and endometriosis in infertile Japanese women. Environ Res. 2005;99:118–125.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Tsukino H, Hanaoka T, Sasaki H, Motoyama H, Hiroshima M, Tanaka T, et al. Fish intake and serum levels of organochlorines among Japanese women. Sci Total Environ. 2006; 359:90–100.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Itoh H, Yoshida K, Masunaga S. Evaluation of the effect of governmental control of human exposure to two phthalates in Japan using a urinary biomarker approach. Int J Hyg Environ Health. 2005;208:237–245.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Kawasaki T, Uezono K, Itoh K, Ueno M. Prediction of 24-hour urinary creatinine excretion from age, body weight and height of an individual and its application. Nippon Koshu Eisei Zasshi. 1991;38:567–574. (Article in Japanese, with English abstract)

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Tsukioka T, Terasawa J, Sato S, Hatayama Y, Makino T, Nakazawa H. Development of analytical method for determining trace amounts of BPA in urine samples and estimation of exposure to BPA. J Environ Chem. 2004;14:57–63.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Volkel W, Colnot T, Csanady GA, Filser JG, Dekant W. Metabolism and kinetics of bisphenol A in humans at low doses following oral administration. Chem Res Toxicol. 2002;15:1281–1287.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Silva MJ, Barr DB, Reidy JA, Malek NA, Hodge CC, Caudill SP, et al. Urinary levels of seven phthalate metabolites in the U.S. population from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 1999–2000. Environ Health Perspect. 2004;112:331–338.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Calafat AM, Kuklenyik Z, Reidy JA, Caudill SP, Ekong J, Needham LL. Urinary concentrations of bisphenol A and 4-nonylphenol in a human reference population. Environ Health Perspect. 2005;113:391–395.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Yang M, Kim SY, Chang SS, Lee IS, Kawamoto T. Urinary concentrations of bisphenol A in relation to biomarkers of sensitivity and effect and endocrine-related health effects. Environ Mol Mutagen. 2006;47:571–578.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. European Food Safety Authority. Opinion of the scientific panel AFC related to 2,2-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)propane. http://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/science/afc/afc_opinions/bisphenol_a.html; 2007.

  22. Matsumoto A, Kunugita N, Kitagawa K, Isse T, Oyama T, Foureman GL, et al. Bisphenol A levels in human urine. Environ Health Perspect. 2003;111:101–104.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Higuchi M, Miyata D, Kawamura S, Ueda E, Imanaka M, Tonogai Y. Estimation of daily intake of phenols in hospital meal samples. Shokuhin Eiseigaku Zasshi. 2004;45:339–343. (Article in Japanese, with English abstract)

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Imanaka M, Sasaki K, Nemoto S, Ueda E, Murakami E, Miyata D, et al. Determination of bisphenol A in foods using GC/MS. Shokuhin Eiseigaku Zasshi. 2001;42:71–78. (Article in Japanese, with English abstract)

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Vigano P, Parazzini F, Somigliana E, Vercellini P. Endometriosis: epidemiology and aetiological factors. Best Pract Res Clin Obstet Gynaecol. 2004;18:177–200.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. Cramer DW, Missmer SA. The epidemiology of endometriosis. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2002;955:11–22.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  27. Missmer SA, Cramer DW. The epidemiology of endometriosis. Obstet Gynecol Clin North Am. 2003;30:1–19.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  28. Missmer SA, Hankinson SE, Spiegelman D, Barbieri RL, Michels KB, Hunter DJ. In utero exposures and the incidence of endometriosis. Fertil Steril. 2004;82:1501–1508.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  29. Ye X, Kuklenyik Z, Needham LL, Calafat AM. Automated on-line column-switching HPLC-MS/MS method with peak focusing for the determination of nine environmental phenols in urine. Anal Chem. 2005;77:5407–5413.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Kawaguchi M, Sakui N, Okanouchi N, Ito R, Saito K, Izumi S, et al. Stir bar sorptive extraction with in situ derivatization and thermal desorption-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry for measurement of phenolic xenoestrogens in human urine samples. J Chromatogr B Analyt Technol Biomed Life Sci. 2005;820:49–57.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Jikei University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan

    Hiroshi Sasaki & Tadao Tanaka

  2. Epidemiology and Prevention Division, Research Center for Cancer Prevention and Screening, National Cancer Center, 5-1-1 Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, 104-0045, Tokyo, Japan

    Hiroaki Itoh, Motoki Iwasaki, Tomoyuki Hanaoka & Shoichiro Tsugane

Authors
  1. Hiroaki Itoh
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Motoki Iwasaki
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Tomoyuki Hanaoka
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Hiroshi Sasaki
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Tadao Tanaka
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Shoichiro Tsugane
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Motoki Iwasaki.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Itoh, H., Iwasaki, M., Hanaoka, T. et al. Urinary bisphenol-A concentration in infertile Japanese women and its association with endometriosis: A cross-sectional study. Environ Health Prev Med 12, 258–264 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02898033

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02898033

Key words

Search

Navigation