Six of the 17 girls with CPP were found to have elevated levels of ZEA. According to Dr. Massart, “Although this finding might be incidental, ZEA may be related to CPP occurrence in girls exposed to mycoestrogens. However, the presence of ZEA pollution could not explain the epidemic of CPP in the region, suggesting that other environmental factors such as herbicides and pesticides may be involved.”
The authors also noted that because of its chemical resemblance to some anabolic growth agents used in animal breeding, ZEA may promote accelerated growth in exposed children. Though the researchers were unable to identify a definitive cause of the high rates of CPP in this region of Tuscany, the study identifies the need for more research into the possible negative effects of environmental pollutants on children.
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The study is reported in “High Growth Rate of Girls with Precocious Puberty Exposed to Estrogenic Mycotoxins” by Francesco Massart, MD, PhD, Valentina Meucci, VD, PhD, Giuseppe Saggese, MD, and Giulio Soldani, MD. The article appears in The Journal of Pediatrics, DOI: 10.1016/j.peds.2007.10.020, published by Elsevier. |
