Measurement of bisphenol A and bisphenol B levels in human blood sera from healthy and endometriotic women

Abstract

A sensitive HPLC method with fluorescence detection was developed for the determination of bisphenol A (BPA) and bisphenol B (BPB) in human blood serum. The detection limits of the method were 0.18 and 0.20 ng/mL for BPA and BPB, respectively. A single-step liquid-liquid extraction was used for the pre-treatment of serum samples. The recoveries of BPA and BPB spiked to sera were 85.6 and 87.7%, respectively. The analyses of sera from both healthy and endometriotic women emphasized the absence of bisphenols in all the control cases (11 women), whereas BPA was found in 30 sera (51.7%) and BPB was found in 16 sera (27.6%) in the group of 58 patients with endometriosis; in nine of such sera BPA and BPB were present simultaneously. Only relatively to the sera quantitated, BPA concentrations ranged from 0.79 to 7.12 ng/mL (mean concentration 2.91 +/- 1.74 ng/mL), whereas BPB concentrations ranged from 0.88 to 11.94 ng/mL (mean concentration 5.15 +/- 4.16 ng/mL). Therefore, the presence of at least one of the two bisphenols was verified in a percentage as high as 63.8% in the sera from endometriotic women, suggesting the existence of a relationship between endometriosis and BPA and/or BPB exposure. Indeed, it is well known that bisphenols can work as xenoestrogens, owing to their structural similarity to natural and synthetic estrogens (e.g. estradiol and dietilstilbestrol). However, further studies are necessary to confirm this hypothesis and to assess the actual dose at which exposures to bisphenols are able to increase the sensitivity of the endometriotic cells to estradiol.

Effect of bisphenol A on human endometrial stromal fibroblasts in vitro

“…Interaction of BPA with oestrogen metabolism may play a role in development or support of already existing oestrogen-dependent disorders, such as leiomyomas or endometriosis. Interestingly, Cobellis et al (2009) did not detect any bisphenols in the sera from healthy women by HPLC; whereas BPA and its derivative BPB were detected in 63.8% of women with endometriosis, suggesting a relationship between BPA serum concentrations and endometriosis. Additional studies are needed to understand the observed relationship between BPA and endometriosis.…”

Focus on Bisphenol A, an Uncertain Environmental Pollutant

“…PC has been commonly used also for production of components of medical equipment (for dialysis and blood oxygenation), of returnable bottles for soft drinks, of infant feeding bottles, of kitchen dishes, toys, water pipes and polyethylene terephthalates or PET (Cobellis et al, 2009;Keri et al, 2007;Rykowska & Wasiak, 2006).…”

“…Human exposure to BPA may arise, then, also out of BPA leaching from those materials into the saliva or may occur through skin contact (Cobellis et al, 2009;Keri et al, 2007;Takahashi et al, 2001). …”

Scientific Opinion on Bisphenol A: evaluation of a study investigating its neurodevelopmental toxicity, review of recent scientific literature on its toxicity and advice on the Danish risk assessment of Bisphenol A

“…In the study by Cobellis et al (2009) the concentrations of both BPA and 2,2-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)butane (BPB) were measured in the sera of 58 endometriotic women vs. 11 healthy controls, using a new method for the simultaneous determination of BPA and BPB in serum for routine monitoring. Neither BPA nor BPB was found in any serum from healthy women; in contrast, at least one of the bisphenols was detected in 63.8% of sera of patients with endometriosis.…”