Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Cadmium, lead and endometriosis

  • Original Article
  • Published:
International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Objectives: Cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb) have been demonstrated to exert endocrine disrupting activities. Their possible role in endometriosis, an oestrogen-dependent disease, is unknown. Methods: We compared cadmium urinary excretion (CdU) and blood concentration of cadmium (CdB) and lead (PbB) in 119 patients with peritoneal endometriosis and/or deep endometriotic (adenomyotic) nodules of the rectovaginal septum and 25 controls. Results: The mean levels of cadmium in urine and blood did not differ among the groups. Women suffering from endometriotic diseases showed lower levels of PbB than controls. Conclusions: These data do not support a role for cadmium in the onset or the growth of endometriotic diseases but suggest a possible relationship with lead.

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

  • Blazka ME, Shaikh ZA (1991) Sex differences in hepatic and renal cadmium accumulation and metallothionein induction. Role of estradiol. Biochem Pharmacol 41:775–780

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Donnez J, Nisolle M, Smoes P, Gillet N, Beguin S, Casanas-Roux F (1996) Peritoneal endometriosis and “endometriotic” nodules of the rectovaginal septum are two different entities. Fertil Steril 66:362–368

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Donnez J, Van Langendonckt A, Casanas-Roux F, Van Gossum JP, Pirard C, Jadoul P Squifflet J, Smets M (2002) Current thinking on the pathogenesis of endometriosis. Gynecol Obstet Invest 54:52–58

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Flanagan PR, McLellan JS, Haist J, Cherian G, Chamberlain MJ, Valberg LS (1978) Increased dietary cadmium absorption in mice and human subjects with iron deficiency. Gastroenterology 74:841–846

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Foster WG (1992) Reproductive toxicity of chronic lead exposure in the female cynomolgus monkey. Reprod Toxicol 6:123–131

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Garcia-Morales P, Saceda M, Kenney N, Kim N, Salomon DS, Gottardis MM, Solomon HB, Sholler PF, Jordan VC, Martin MB (1994). Effect of cadmium on estrogen receptor levels and estrogen-induced responses in human breast cancer cells. J Biol Chem 269(24):16896–16901

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gerhard I, Runnebaum B (1992) [The limits of hormone substitution in pollutant exposure and fertility disorders]. Zentralbl Gynakol 114:593–602

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Giudice LC, Kao LC (2004) Endometriosis. Lancet 364:1789–1799

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Goyer RA (1997) Toxic and essential metal interactions. Annu Rev Nutr 17:37–50

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Heilier JF, Verougstraete V, Nackers F, Tonglet R, Donnez J, Lison D (2004) Assessment of cadmium impregnation in women suffering from endometriosis: a preliminary study. Toxicol Lett 154:89–93

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Heilier JF, Nackers F, Verougstraete V, Tonglet R, Lison D, Donnez J (2005) Increased dioxin-like compounds in the serum of women with peritoneal endometriosis and deep endometriotic (adenomyotic) nodules. Fertil Steril 84:305–312

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Henry RJ (1965) Clinical chemistry: Principles and technics. Harper and Row, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Henson MC, Chedrese PJ (2004) Endocrine disruption by cadmium, a common environmental toxicant with paradoxical effects on reproduction. Exp Biol Med (Maywood) 229:383–392

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Institute of Public Health (IPH), 2005. Surveillance of the population’s exposition to heavy metals—epidemiological surveillance of the general population, http://www.iph.be/epidemio/epien/index12.htm (access date 10/11/05)

  • Johnson MD, Kenney N, Stoica A, Hilakivi-Clarke L, Singh B, Chepko G, Clarke R, Sholler PF, Lirio AA, Foss C, Reiter R, Trock B, Paik S, Martin MB (2003) Cadmium mimics the in vivo effects of estrogen in the uterus and mammary gland. Nat Med 9:1081–1084

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kitawaki J, Kado N, Ishihara H, Koshiba H, Kitaoka Y, Honjo H (2002) Endometriosis: the pathophysiology as an estrogen-dependent disease. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol 83:149–155

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Klaassen CD, Liu J (1998) Metallothionein transgenic and knock-out mouse models in the study of cadmium toxicity. J Toxicol Sci 23(Suppl 2):97–102

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kleinbaum DG, Kupper LL, Muller KE, Nizam A (1998) Applied regression analysis and other multivariate methods. Duxburry Press, MA

  • Lauwerys R, Hoet P (2001) Industrial chemical exposure guideline for biological monitoring. Lewis Publisher, Boca Raton

    Google Scholar 

  • Martin MB, Voeller HJ, Gelmann EP, Lu J, Stoica EG, Hebert EJ, Reiter R, Singh B, Danielsen M, Pentecost E, Stoica A (2002) Role of cadmium in the regulation of AR gene expression and activity. Endocrinology 143:263–275

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Muntner P, Menke A, DeSalvo KB, Rabito FA, Batuman V (2005) Continued decline in blood lead levels among adults in the united states: The National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys. Arch Intern Med 165:2155–2161

    Google Scholar 

  • Nehru B, Kaushal S. (1992) Effect of lead on hepatic microsomal enzyme activity. J Appl Toxicol 12(6):401–405

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Safe S (2003) Cadmium’s disguise dupes the estrogen receptor. Nat Med 9(8):1000–1001

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Stoica A, Katzenellenbogen BS, Martin MB (2000) Activation of estrogen receptor-alpha by the heavy metal cadmium. Mol Endocrinol 14:545–553

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Taupeau C, Poupon J, Treton D, Brosse A, Richard Y, Machelon V (2003) Lead reduces messenger RNA and protein levels of cytochrome p450 aromatase and estrogen receptor beta in human ovarian granulosa cells. Biol Reprod 68:1982–1988

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Vahter M, Berglund M, Akesson A, Liden C (2002) Metals and women’s health. Environ Res 88:145–155

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Waalkes MP, Liu J, Goyer RA, Diwan BA (2004) Metallothionein-I/II double knockout mice are hypersensitive to lead-induced kidney carcinogenesis: role of inclusion body formation. Cancer Res 64:7766–7772

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • World health organisation (WHO) (1992) Cadmium international programme on chemical safety, vol. 134 Environmental health criteria, WHO, Geneva

  • World health organization (WHO) (1995) Inorganic lead international programme on chemical safety, vol. 165 Environmental health criteria, WHO, Geneva

  • Wilhelm M, Ewers U, Schulz C (2004) Revised and new reference values for some trace elements in blood and urine for human biomonitoring in environmental medicine. Int J Hyg Environ Health 207:69–73

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This work was supported by a grant no. 3.4587.01 from the Fonds de la Recherche Scientifique Médicale, Belgium. The authors thank K. Rozenkranz, M.D., L. de Buyl M.D., A.-T. Ha, M.Sc., and R. Rousseau, M.Sc., for assistance with data collection. The authors are grateful to C. Gathy and T. Seminck for experimental assistance.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Industrial Toxicology and Occupational Medicine Unit, Faculty of Medicine, Université Catholique de Louvain, 30.54 Clos Chapelle aux Champs, 1200, Brussels, Belgium

    J. F. Heilier, V. Verougstraete, V. Haufroid & D. Lison

  2. Department of Gynaecology, Cliniques Universitaires St-Luc, Brussels, Belgium

    J. Donnez

  3. Gyneacology Unit, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium

    J. Donnez, O. Donnez & F. Grandjean

  4. Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Operational Methods Unit, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium

    F. Nackers

Authors
  1. J. F. Heilier
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. J. Donnez
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. V. Verougstraete
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. O. Donnez
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. F. Grandjean
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. V. Haufroid
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. F. Nackers
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. D. Lison
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to J. F. Heilier.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Heilier, J.F., Donnez, J., Verougstraete, V. et al. Cadmium, lead and endometriosis. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 80, 149–153 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00420-006-0114-7

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00420-006-0114-7

Keywords

Search

Navigation