Endocrine Toxicants Including 2,3,7,8-Terachlorodibenzo-p-Dioxin (TCDD) and Dioxin-like Chemicals and Endometriosis: Is There A Link?

Endometriosis is a common gynecologic disease of unknown etiology affecting approximately 10-15% of women of reproductive age and 50% of infertile women. Estrogen dependence and immune modulation are established features of endometriosis but do not adequately explain the cause of this disorder. In recent years evidence indicated that exposure to environmental toxicants possessing estrogenic activity resulted in endometriosis. However, scant …