Hum. Reprod. Advance Access originally published online on May 24, 2008
Human Reproduction 2008 23(8):1708-1718; doi:10.1093/humrep/den186
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Cryptorchidism at birth in Nice area (France) is associated with higher prenatal exposure to PCBs and DDE, as assessed by colostrum concentrations
1 Endocrinology Department, Hôpital l'Archet 1, CHU Nice, 151 route de Saint-Antoine, 06200 Nice, France 2 INSERM Unit 895, 06200 Nice, France 3 Pediatrics Department, CHU Nice, 06200 Nice, France 4 Conseil Général des Alpes Maritimes, 06200 Nice, France 5 INSERM Unit 822, 94276 le Kremlin Bicêtre, France 6 Biochemistry Laboratory, Hôpital Saint-Roch, CHU Nice, 06000 Nice, France 7 Obstetrics Department, Hôpital l'Archet 2, CHU Nice, 06200 Nice, France
8 Correspondence address. Tel: +33-4-92-03-55-19; Fax: +33-4-92-03-54-25; E-mail: brucker-davis.f{at}chu-nice.fr
BACKGROUND: Since fetal exposure to anti-androgenic and/or estrogenic compounds has adverse effect on animal reproduction, such exposure could be harmful to human fetus. Data are scarce on cryptorchidism and human exposure to endocrine disruptors.
METHODS: We performed a prospective case–control study to assess the incidence of cryptorchidism and fetal exposure to selected chemicals in the Nice area. One hundred and fifty-one cord bloods (67 cryptorchid, 84 tightly matched controls) and 125 colostrums (56 for cryptorchid and 69 for controls) were screened for xenobiotics, including anti-androgenic dichloro-diphenyl-trichloro-ethylene (DDE), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and dibutylphthalate (and metabolite monobutylphthalate, mBP).
RESULTS: Median concentrations in colostrum were higher, although not statistically significantly, in cryptorchid versus controls. Cryptorchid boys were more likely to be classified in the most contaminated groups in colostrum for DDE, 
PCBs and the composite score PCB + DDE. The same trend, but again not statistically significantly was observed for mBP. Odds ratio for cryptorchidism was increased for the highest score of PCB, with a trend only for DDE and PCB + DDE versus the lowest score of those components.
CONCLUSIONS: Our results support an association between congenital cryptorchidism and fetal exposure to PCBs and possibly DDE. Higher concentrations in milk could be a marker of higher exposure or for an impaired detoxification pattern in genetically predisposed individuals.
Key words: endocrine disruptors/fetal exposure/cryptorchidism/DDE/PCB
See Appendix for authors of Cryptorchidism Study Group from Nice. Submitted on December 17, 2007; resubmitted on April 3, 2008; accepted on April 17, 2008.