Alsaeed Shimaa Ahmed, Lymona Ahmed M, Atef Adel, Moawad Asmaa Mohammad, Morsi Heba, Alkaffas Marwa, Nassar Auhood, Aboubakr Heba Mohamed
Department of Forensic Medicine and Clinical Toxicology, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Kasr Alainy Street, Cairo, 11562, Egypt.
Department of Surgical Oncology, Gynoncology Division, National Cancer Institute, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt.
Food Chem Toxicol. 2025 Oct 16;207:115810. doi: 10.1016/j.fct.2025.115810.
In this case-control study conducted at Cairo's National Cancer Institute, the association between bisphenol A (BPA), an endocrine-disrupting chemical (EDC), and ovarian cancer was investigated. BPA levels in the urine, oxidative stress markers (reactive oxygen species (ROS) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity), and Keratin 4 (KRT4) gene expression were analyzed in 30 patients and 30 controls. Significant risk factors for BPA exposure included consuming microwave meals, consuming canned beverages, using polyvinyl chloride (PVC) food storage, eating fast food, handling thermal paper, exposure to dust, and recurrent hospitalizations. Compared with normal controls, ovarian cancer patients presented increased BPA levels, ROS, and KRT4 expression, along with reduced SOD activity (p < 0.001). A strong positive correlation was found between BPA and KRT4, indicating that KRT4 may be a potential biomarker. The cutoff values for urinary BPA and KRT4 achieved 100 % sensitivity and specificity in distinguishing patients from controls. These findings suggest that BPA plays a role in ovarian cancer pathogenesis, likely through oxidative stress and gene dysregulation. This study emphasizes the importance of minimizing BPA exposure (e.g., by reducing the use of canned or packaged foods) and calls for larger studies to further investigate the role of EDCs in hormone-dependent cancers.
在开罗国家癌症研究所进行的这项病例对照研究中，调查了内分泌干扰化学物质（EDC）双酚A（BPA）与卵巢癌之间的关联。分析了30例患者和30例对照的尿液中BPA水平、氧化应激标志物（活性氧（ROS）和超氧化物歧化酶（SOD）活性）以及角蛋白4（KRT4）基因表达。BPA暴露的重要风险因素包括食用微波食品、饮用罐装饮料、使用聚氯乙烯（PVC）食品储存、吃快餐、接触热敏纸、暴露于灰尘以及反复住院。与正常对照相比，卵巢癌患者的BPA水平、ROS和KRT4表达增加，同时SOD活性降低（p < 0.001）。发现BPA与KRT4之间存在强正相关，表明KRT4可能是一种潜在的生物标志物。尿BPA和KRT4的临界值在区分患者与对照方面达到了100%的敏感性和特异性。这些发现表明，BPA可能通过氧化应激和基因失调在卵巢癌发病机制中发挥作用。本研究强调了尽量减少BPA暴露（例如，通过减少罐装或包装食品的使用）的重要性，并呼吁进行更大规模的研究，以进一步调查EDC在激素依赖性癌症中的作用。
