Organochlorine pesticides exposure in female adolescents: potential impact on sexual hormones and interleukin-1 levels

The objective of this study was to assess the potential impact of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) on IL-1 axis in exposed female adolescents through an observational cross-sectional study. The study was conducted in Sary-Agach District (OCPs exposed girls) and Sairam District (OCPs unexposed controls), South Kazakhstan. The study included 524 female adolescents aged 10-17 years (OCPs exposed, n = 253; OCPs unexposed, n = 271). The main outcome was assessment of OCPs blood levels (correlating to pubertal development and sexual hormonal status) and IL-1 levels. The delayed sexual development and the hormonal profile in OCPs exposed female adolescents correlated to the blood levels of OCPs. Interestingly, serum IL-1 alpha and IL-1 beta in girls living in contaminated areas correlated to OCPs blood levels as well. Both OCPs and IL-1 blood levels in exposed female adolescents resulted to be increased, but further research is required to establish if that might represent an additional factor contributing to puberty disorders and/or reproductive health issues.