Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33002787›Full record

ArticleInternational journal of hygiene and environmental health2021

Multiple organochlorine pesticide exposures and measures of sex steroid hormones in adult males: Cross-sectional findings from the 1999-2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

Jessica M Madrigal, Robert M Sargis, Victoria Persky, Mary E Turyk

Open access · greenAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in International journal of hygiene and environmental health, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
7citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
1.1field-weighted citation impact, top 24% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

7 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 24 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Relationship between Prenatal or Postnatal Exposure to Pesticides and Obesity: A Systematic Review.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2021
    Pooled it
  2. Review
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. EndoCompass Project: Environmental Endocrinology.Hormone research in paediatrics · 2025
    Review
  6. Article
  7. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Jessica M MadrigalDivision of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of Illinois at Chicago, USA. Electronic address: Jmadri1@uic.edu.
Robert M SargisDivision of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, USA.
Victoria PerskyDivision of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of Illinois at Chicago, USA.
Mary E TurykDivision of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of Illinois at Chicago, USA.
University of Illinois Chicago · US

Funding

Occupational Safety and Health, ERC, University of Illinois at ChicagoT42OH008672 · OH · UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT CHICAGO · PI BUCHANAN, SUSAN NATHALIE · 2005 to 2025
$32.7M
Pilot and Feasibility ProgramP30DK020595 · NIDDK · UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO · PI Raghavendra G Mirmira · 2013 to 2026
$20.9M
Pilot Program CoreP30ES027792 · NIEHS · UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO · PI Gokhan M. Mutlu, Gail S Prins · 2017 to 2026
$13.6M
ACL HHS T42OH008672NIDDK NIH HHS P30 DK020595NIEHS NIH HHS P30 ES027792NIOSH CDC HHS T42 OH008672
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundOrganochlorine pesticides are detectable in serum from most adults. Animal studies provide evidence of pesticide effects on sex hormones, suggesting that exposures may impact human reproductive function. Mounting evidence of sex differences in chronic diseases suggest that perturbations in endogenous sex hormones may influence disease risk. However, the association between organochlorine pesticide exposure and sex hormone levels in males across the lifespan is not well understood.

methodsWe evaluated cross-sectional associations of lipid-adjusted serum concentrations of β-hexachlorocyclohexane, hexachlorobenzene, heptachlor epoxide, oxychlordane, dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (DDE), p,p'-dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT), trans-nonachlor, and mirex in relation to sex steroid hormone levels [testosterone (ng/dL), sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG; nmol/L), estradiol (pg/mL), and androstanediol glucuronide (ng/dL)] in a sample of 748 males aged 20 years and older from the 1999-2004 cycles of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Survey-weighted linear regression models were performed to estimate geometric means (GM) and their 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for quartiles of lipid-adjusted pesticide concentrations, adjusting for age, race, body mass index, serum lipids, smoking, education, and survey cycle.

resultsHexachlorobenzene concentration was positively associated with total estradiol (GM Q4 = 43.2 pg/mL (95% CI 36.5-51.1) vs. Q1 GM = 25.6 pg/mL (24.1-27.3), p-trend <0.0001) and free estradiol (GM Q4 = 0.77 pg/mL (95% CI 0.64-0.93) vs. Q1 GM = 0.47 pg/mL (0.44-0.51), p-trend = 0.002). Serum DDT concentration was positively associated with total estradiol (GM Q4 = 31.6 pg/mL (95% CI 25.9-38.5) vs. Q1 GM = 27.3 pg/mL (25.9-28.7), p-trend = 0.05) and free estradiol (GM Q4 = 0.60 pg/mL (95% CI 0.48-0.76) vs. Q1 GM = 0.50 pg/mL (0.47-0.53), p-trend 0.02). There was a suggestive inverse association of DDT and SHBG (GM Q4 = 29.2 nmol/L (95% CI 23.8-35.9) vs. Q1 GM = 33.9 nmol/L (32.3-35.5), p-trend 0.07). A positive association of β-hexachlorocyclohexane with total estradiol (GM Q4 = 30.3 pg/mL (95% CI 26.5-34.6) vs. Q1 GM = 26.7 pg/mL (24.5-29.0), p-trend = 0.09) was also suggestive but did not reach statistical significance. No distinct associations were observed for other hormone levels or other organochlorine pesticides.

conclusionsOur findings suggest that select organochlorine pesticides may alter male estradiol levels. The positive associations with estradiol may implicate sex hormones as a possible mechanism for disease risk among those with organochlorine pesticide exposure.

Indexed as

Hydrocarbons, ChlorinatedPesticidesAdultCross-Sectional StudiesDDTFemaleGonadal Steroid HormonesHumansMaleNutrition SurveysDDTGonadal Steroid HormonesHydrocarbons, ChlorinatedPesticidesEndocrine disruptorsEstradiolEstrogenic compoundsNHANESOrganochlorine pesticidesSex hormones

Identifiers

PMID33002787
PMCPMC7736259
OpenAlexW3089426180

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceTDM
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.