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disease comes about as a malfunction of one or more of your bodies
systems. Much if not most of the time this is a result of a
slow degenerative process due to the lack of adequate bodily
supplies of the elements necessary for normal function and
rejuvenation of affected organs. Commercial Farming and natural
erosion has depleted global farmlands of most essential elements
therefore it is not wise to assume that your diet contains enough
of these elements for normal body function and maintenance.
See Senate Document 264.
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Abstract
Endometriosis is a reproductive disease characterized by the growth of
endometrial cells at sites outside the uterus. This disease is a serious
disorder associated with chronic pain and infertility, which may be
present in 6 million women in this country. Traditional medical therapy
has consisted of hormonal regimens that limit the action of endogenous
estrogen. The etiology of endometriosis is unknown, but studies suggest
that soluble factors known as cytokines play a role in disease
pathogenesis. 2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD or
dioxin) is an environmental toxicant that alters the action of estrogen
in reproductive organs and adversely affects immunocompetence. The
incidence of endometriosis was determined in rhesus monkeys that were
chronically exposed to dioxin for a period of approximately 4 years. Ten
years after termination of dioxin treatment, the presence and severity
of endometriosis was assessed by surgical laparoscopy. The incidence of
endometriosis correlated with dioxin exposure and disease severity was
dependent upon the dose administered. Moderate to severe endometriosis
was not found in control animals but was documented in three of seven
animals exposed to 5 ppt dioxin (43%) and in five of seven animals
exposed to 25 ppt dioxin (71%). The frequency of spontaneous disease in
the control group was 33%, similar to an overall prevalence of 30% in
304 rhesus monkeys with no history of dioxin exposure. This study
indicates that endometriosis may be associated with dioxin exposure in
the rhesus. In view of overwhelming evidence that cytokines participate
in the mediation of reproductive-endocrine phenomena and regulation of
endometrial growth, future assessment of the effects of environmental
toxicants on reproductive health may depend upon our understanding of
the bidirectional cytokine network between the immune and endocrine
systems. -- Environ Health Perspect 103(Suppl 7):151-156 (1995)
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