Conjugated bisphenol A in maternal serum in relation to miscarriage risk

Abstract

Objective To examine the relationship between maternal serum Bisphenol-A (BPA) concentration at the time of the missed period and miscarriage risk. Design Retrospective cohort of prospectively collected serum samples. Setting Academic fertility center. Patients Women presenting for early pregnancy monitoring with singleton pregnancies. Intervention Stored serum samples from 4-5 weeks gestation were analyzed for conjugated serum BPA concentrations. Main Outcomes Live birth, miscarriage, and chromosome content of miscarriage. Results Of the 115 included subjects, there were 47 live births and 68 clinical miscarriages (46 aneuploid and 22 euploid). Median conjugated BPA concentrations were higher in women with miscarriages than those with live births (0.101 vs 0.075 ng/ml). Women with the highest quartile of conjugated BPA had an increased relative risk of miscarriage (1.83, 95% CI 1.14-2.96) compared to women in the lowest quartile. We found a similar increase risk for both euploid and aneuploid miscarriages. Conclusions Maternal conjugated BPA was associated with higher risk of aneuploid and euploid miscarriage in this cohort. The impact of reducing individual exposures on future pregnancy outcomes deserves further study.

Physiological Aspects of Female Fertility: Role of the Environment, Modern Lifestyle, and Genetics

“…A United States study of women with unexplained miscarriage demonstrated that those with a serum conjugated BPA concentration in the highest quartile were almost twice as likely to miscarry as those women in the lowest quartile. The authors hypothesized that the cause was due to a negative influence of BPA upon the endometrium or early placentation (193), and BPA exposure has also been associated with a predisposition to with recurrent miscarriage (334,389).…”

Female Infertility and “Emerging” Organic Pollutants of Concern

“…Estrogenic and anti-estrogenic activities have widely been reported in vitro [35] and in vivo [36], and the experimental literature describes ovarian and uterine toxicity [34]. In humans, higher levels of BPA were associated with poorer ovarian response and lower fertilization rates during in vitro fertilization (IVF) cycles [37][38][39], polycystic ovary syndrome [40], and pregnancy loss [41]. Still, experimental human data suggests rapid inactivation and excretion of ingested BPA, the primary exposure route [42].…”

Endocrine Disruptors: a Real Concern for Humans?

“…Analysis of existing studies reached different conclusions and the issue remains controversial. In any case, available human and experimental animal studies demonstrated that high-level exposure to some environmental chemicals impairs fertility and increases the rate of spontaneous abortion [18,19]. Declining sex ratios (fewer males) have been recorded in a number of regions and countries [20,21] evidencing how external influences, such as exposure to EDCs, are associated with these changes.…”