The impact of endocrine-disrupting chemicals on uterine diseases

Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are a global concern for human health and the environment. EDCs include plasticizers, pharmaceutical agents, industrial chemicals, fungicides, and pesticides. Thus, EDC exposure is a manmade consequence in our current lives. More than 1,000 chemicals are classified as EDCs, which can interfere with any aspect of the endocrine system, resulting in reproductive disorders, metabolic dysfunctions, cardiovascular diseases, neurological and immune defects, and cancers. Because EDCs affect steroid hormone regulation, there are crucial associations between EDCs and gynecological diseases. This review focuses on the inroads by which faulty signaling mechanisms and cellular responses to major EDCs, such as bisphenols (BP), phthalates, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), and parabens, lead to the initiation or progression of uterine disorders, including endometriosis, leiomyoma (uterine fibroids), adenomyosis, and endometrial hyperplasia. We also summarize the features, risks, and functions of EDCs in each disease.