Human Reproduction
Volume 16, Issue 5, 2001, Pages 1020-1026

Sexual precocity after immigration from developing countries to Belgium: Evidence of previous exposure to organochlorine pesticides (Article) (Open Access)

Krstevska-Konstantinova M. , Charlier C. , Craen M. , Du Caju M. , Heinrichs C. , De Beaufort C. , Plomteux G. , Bourguignon J.P.*
  • a Div. Ambulatory Pediat. Adol. Med., Department of Pediatrics, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium, Pediatric Clinic, Medical Faculty, 91000 Skopje, North Macedonia
  • b Laboratory of Toxicology, University of Liège, C.H.U. Sart Tilman, Liège, Belgium
  • c [Affiliation not available]
  • d [Affiliation not available]
  • e [Affiliation not available]
  • f [Affiliation not available]
  • g Laboratory of Toxicology, University of Liège, C.H.U. Sart Tilman, Liège, Belgium
  • h Div. Ambulatory Pediat. Adol. Med., Department of Pediatrics, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium, Div. Ambulatory Pediat. Adol. Med., University of Liège, C.H.U. Sart Tilman, B-4000 Liege, Belgium

Abstract

In a retrospective auxological study of 145 patients seen in Belgium during a 9-year period for treatment of precosious puberty, 28% appeared to be foreign children (39 girls, one boy) who immigrated 4 to 5 years earlier from 22 developing countries, without any link to a particular ethnic or country background. The patients were either adopted (n = 28) or non-adopted (n = 12), the latter having normal weight and height at immigration and starting early puberty without evidence of earlier deprivation. This led to the hypothesis that the mechanism of precocious puberty might involve previous exposure to oestrogenic endocrine disrupters. A toxicological plasma screening for eight pesticides detected p,p′-DDE, which is derived from the organochlorine pesticide DDT. Median p,p′-DDE concentrations were respectively 1.20 and 1.04 ng/ml in foreign adopted (n = 15) and non-adopted (n = 11) girls with precocious puberty, while 13 out of 15 Belgian native girls with idiopathic or organic precocious puberty showed undetectable concentrations (<0.1 ng/ml). A possible relationship between transient exposure to endocrine disrupters and sexual precocity is suggested, and deserves further studies in immigrant children with non-advanced puberty.

Author Keywords

Adopted children Organochlorine pesticides/p,p′-DDE/precocious puberty

Index Keywords

disease activity developing country immigration human toxicity testing controlled study measurement adoption puberty concentration (parameters) 1,1 dichloro 2,2 bis(4 chlorophenyl)ethylene organochlorine pesticide male female triptorelin depot decapeptyl endocrine function environmental exposure clinical article Belgium Article body weight precocious puberty retrospective study body mass body height Child
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-0035003664&doi=10.1093%2fhumrep%2f16.5.1020&partnerID=40&md5=e711c53dbea17c0a60539be0af4b1ec4
DOI: 10.1093/humrep/16.5.1020
ISSN: 02681161
Cited by: 209
Original Language: English