Impacts of PAH accumulation on reproductive hormones, indices of oxidative stress and BPDE-albumin adduct in women with recurrent pregnancy loss.

Chronic exposure to Poly aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) may be associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes. Disruption of hormonal and redox balance by toxic PAH metabolites may interfere with successful pregnancy leading to miscarriage. The association of exposure to PAH contaminated mussel via the dietary route with perturbations in reproductive hormones, biomarkers of oxidative stress, and PAH metabolites were assessed in women with recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL). Furthermore, an analysis of the concentration of PAHs in environmentally relevant bivalve animals was performed to preliminary get insights into the levels of these pollutants in the environment. Seventy-six women (20-35 years) were categorized into 18 fertile women without RPL (control), and Groups I, II, and III comprising 24, 18, and 16 women with RPL (2, 3, and > 3 abortions respectively) were studied. Whole blood samples were collected for the estimation of malondialdehyde (MDA), catalase, reduced glutathione (GSH), glutathione-S-transferase (GST), progesterone (P4), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), benzo[a]pyren-7,8-dihydrodiol-9,10-epoxide-albumin adduct (BPDE-albumin) and urine for α-naphthol and β-naphthol. Two species of mussel Graphical abstract: High PAH exposure in pregnant women is associated with 10-epoxide-albumin adduct formation and high MDA levels in their sera. On the other hand, PAH exposure in those women led to a decrease in their GSH, catalase, P4, and FSH sera levels. These findings indicate that PAH exposure can exert different physiological effects in pregnant women leading to a high level of abortion in those women.