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Sperm DNA damage correlates with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons biomarker in coke-oven workers

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Abstract

Objectives: The aim was to determine whether occupational exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in men has adverse effect on semen quality. Methods: Forty-eight coke-oven workers, including 16 topside-oven (TO) workers and 32 sideoven (SO) workers, were studied. Ambient PAHs exposure, urinary 1-hydroxypyrene (1-OHP) levels, and parameters of semen quality were determined. Results: TO workers had significantly higher ambient PAHs exposure (3,436.1±3,411.0 vs. 1,123.1±1,829.3 ng/m3, P<0.01), urinary 1-OHP levels (207.8±176.4 vs. 54.0±44.8 μg/g, P<0.001), frequency of oligospermia (18.8 vs. 0%, P<0.05), and morphological abnormality in sperm (32.3 vs. 14.6%, P<0.01) than SO workers. Among cigarette smokers, TO workers had significantly higher rates of DNA denaturation in spermatozoa (αT) and percentage of sperm with increased DNA denaturation (COMP αT) levels than SO workers (246.2±49.5 vs. 198.1±30.3 for αT; 34.8±14.4 vs. 19.3±13.9% for COMP αT, P<0.05). There was a positive correlation between urinary 1-OHP and αT, COMP αT, and abnormal sperm morphology and a tenfold increase in urinary 1-OHP associated with a 2.35-fold increase in αT, as well as a 1.07-fold increase in percentage of sperm with abnormal morphology. Conclusions: A potential risk of sperm dysfunction should be considered for workers occupationally exposed to high levels of PAHs. Cigarette smoking may aggravate this risk. Urinary 1-OHP can be used as a biomarker predicting sperm dysfunction.

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Abbreviations

1-OHP:

1-Hydroxypyrene

BaP:

Benzo(a)pyrene

COMP αT:

Cells falling outside of the main population

αT:

DNA denaturation per spermatozoa

FCM:

Flow cytometry

MMP:

Mitochondrial membrane potential

NS:

Non-smoking

PAHs:

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons

SO:

Sideoven

SM:

Smoking

TO:

Topside-oven

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Acknowledgements

This study was funded by grants from the National Science Council of Taiwan (NSC 92-2320-B-327-001 to PCH) and from the Institute of Occupational Safety and Health Council of Labor Affairs, Taipei (IOSH93-M366 to MTW).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Safety, Health and Environmental Engineering, National Kaohsiung First University of Science and Technology, Kaohsiung, Taiwan

    Ping-Chi Hsu, I-Yueh Chen, Jenq-Renn Chen & Cheng-Jung Chen

  2. Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, Council of Labor Affairs, Taipei, Taiwan

    Chih-Hong Pan

  3. Division of Environmental Health and Occupational Medicine, National Health Research Institute, Kaohsiung, Taiwan

    Kuen-Yuh Wu

  4. Department of Seafood Science, National Kaohsiung Marine University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan

    Min-Hsiung Pan

  5. Department of Chemical Engineering, Cheng Shiu University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan

    Guo-Ping Chang-Chien

  6. Graduate Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, Department of Occupational Medicine and Family Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, 100, Shih-Chuan 1st Road, Kaohsiung, Taiwan

    Chang-Hung Hsu & Ming-Tsang Wu

  7. Department of Family Medicine, China Medical University & Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan

    Chiu-Shong Liu & Ming-Tsang Wu

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  1. Ping-Chi Hsu
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  2. I-Yueh Chen
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  8. Guo-Ping Chang-Chien
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  9. Chang-Hung Hsu
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  11. Ming-Tsang Wu
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Correspondence to Ming-Tsang Wu.

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Hsu, PC., Chen, IY., Pan, CH. et al. Sperm DNA damage correlates with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons biomarker in coke-oven workers. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 79, 349–356 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00420-005-0066-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00420-005-0066-3

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