Endometriosis among women exposed to polybrominated biphenyls

PURPOSE: We examined the association between endometriosis and exposure to polybrominated biphenyls (PBBs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) among women inadvertently exposed to PBBs in 1973. METHODS: Serum PBBs and PCBs were measured in the late 1970s. Women self-reported endometriosis at interview in 1997. We constructed Cox models to estimate the relative incidence of endometriosis in relation to PBB and PCB levels. RESULTS: Seventy-nine of 943 women (9%) reported endometriosis. Compared with women with low PBB exposure (or=4 ppb) (HR = 0.90; 95% CI, 0.51-1.59) exposure did not have increased incidence of endometriosis. Increased incidence of endometriosis was suggested among women exposed to moderate PCB (5-8 ppb) (HR = 1.67; 95% CI, 0.91-3.10) and high PCB (>or=8 ppb) (HR = 1.68; 95% CI, 0.95-2.98) levels compared with low PCB exposure (