Effects of Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane on the Female Reproductive Tract Leading to Infertility and Cancer: Systematic Search and Review
Shermeen Syed,
Shandana Qasim,
Maheen Ejaz,
Sammar,
Nimra Khan,
Haider Ali,
Himasadat Zaker,
Eleftheria Hatzidaki,
Charalampos Mamoulakis,
Aristidis Tsatsakis,
Syed Tahir Abbas Shah,
Saira Amir
Affiliations
Shermeen Syed
Functional Genomics and Proteomics Laboratory, Department of Biosciences, COMSATS University Islamabad, Park Road Chak Shehzad, Islamabad 44000, Pakistan
Shandana Qasim
Functional Genomics and Proteomics Laboratory, Department of Biosciences, COMSATS University Islamabad, Park Road Chak Shehzad, Islamabad 44000, Pakistan
Maheen Ejaz
Functional Genomics and Proteomics Laboratory, Department of Biosciences, COMSATS University Islamabad, Park Road Chak Shehzad, Islamabad 44000, Pakistan
Sammar
Functional Genomics and Proteomics Laboratory, Department of Biosciences, COMSATS University Islamabad, Park Road Chak Shehzad, Islamabad 44000, Pakistan
Nimra Khan
Functional Genomics and Proteomics Laboratory, Department of Biosciences, COMSATS University Islamabad, Park Road Chak Shehzad, Islamabad 44000, Pakistan
Haider Ali
Cerebral Venous Disorder Lab, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
Himasadat Zaker
Histology and Microscopic Analysis Division, RASTA Specialized Research Institute (RSRI), West Azerbaijan Science and Technology Park (WASTP), Urmia 5756115322, Iran
Eleftheria Hatzidaki
Department of Neonatology, University General Hospital of Heraklion, Medical School, University of Crete, 71003 Heraklion, Crete, Greece
Charalampos Mamoulakis
Department of Urology, University General Hospital of Heraklion, Medical School, University of Crete, 71003 Heraklion, Crete, Greece
Aristidis Tsatsakis
Toxicology Lab, Department of Medicine, University of Crete, 71003 Heraklion, Crete, Greece
Syed Tahir Abbas Shah
Functional Genomics and Proteomics Laboratory, Department of Biosciences, COMSATS University Islamabad, Park Road Chak Shehzad, Islamabad 44000, Pakistan
Saira Amir
Functional Genomics and Proteomics Laboratory, Department of Biosciences, COMSATS University Islamabad, Park Road Chak Shehzad, Islamabad 44000, Pakistan
Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) such as dichlorodimethyltrichloroethane (DDT) are present and ubiquitous in the environment due to their resilient nature. DDT is a prevalent endocrine disruptor still found in detectable amounts in organisms and the environment even after its use was banned in the 1970s. Medline and Google Scholar were systematically searched to detect all relevant animal and human studies published in the last 20 years (January 2003 to February 2023) in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement. In total, 38 studies were included for qualitative synthesis. This systematic search and review indicated that exposure to DDT is associated with female reproductive health issues, such as reduced fecundability; increased risk of preterm/premature deliveries; increased periods of gestation; alterations in the synthesis of crucial reproductive hormones (Progesterone and Oxytocin) through ion imbalances and changes in prostaglandin synthesis, myometrial and stromal hypertrophy, and edema; and variations in uterine contractions through increased uterine wet weight. There was also limited evidence indicating DDT as a carcinogen sufficient to instigate reproductive cancers. However, this review only takes into account the in vitro studies that have established a possible pathway to understand how DDT impacts female infertility and leads to reproductive cancers. Links between the pathways described in various studies have been developed in this review to produce a summarized picture of how one event might lead to another. Additionally, epidemiological studies that specifically targeted the exposure to DDT of females belonging to various ethnicities have been reviewed to develop an overall picture of prevailing female reproductive health concerns in different nations.
