Embryo-foetal exposure to low doses of endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) has been related to reproductive tract diseases in experimental animals but not convincingly in human populations. The aim of this case-control study was to explore the relationship between exposure to non-persistent EDCs during pregnancy and male genital development. Exposure to bisphenol-A (BPA), benzophenones (BPs) [BP-1, BP-2, BP-3, BP-6, BP-8 and 4-hydroxybenzophenone (4-OH-BP),] and parabens (PBs) [methyl-, ethyl-, propyl- and butyl-PB] was analyzed by means of ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry in placenta samples from a subsample of 28 cases and 51 healthy controls nested in a cohort of newborns recruited between 2000 and 2002. The multivariable regression analyses indicated a statistically significant association between exposure to BPA and propyl-PB and the risk of malformations [adjusted odd ratio (95% CIs) in the third tertile of exposure: 7.2 (1.5-35.5) and 6.4 (1.2-35.5) for BPA and propyl-PB, respectively].
Keywords: BPA; Benzophenones; Cryptorchidism; Endocrine disrupting chemicals; Foetal exposure; Hypospadias; Parabens; Placenta.
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