Urinary Phthalate Metabolites and Biomarkers of Reproductive Function in Young Men

• Published in: Epidemiology (Cambridge, Mass.) Vol. 16; no. 4; pp. 487 - 493
• Main Authors: Jönsson, Bo A. G., Richthoff, Jonas, Rylander, Lars, Giwercman, Aleksander, Hagmar, Lars
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Philadelphia, PA Lippincott Williams & Wilkins 01-07-2005; Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Inc
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Biological and medical sciences; Biological markers; Biomarkers - urine; Birth control; Chromatin; Environmental Exposure - adverse effects; Folkhälsovetenskap, global hälsa, socialmedicin och epidemiologi; Gonadal Hormones - blood; Gynecology. Andrology. Obstetrics; Health Sciences; Humans; Hälsovetenskap; Linear Models; Male; Medical and Health Sciences; Medical sciences; Medicin och hälsovetenskap; Metabolites; Military Personnel; Miscellaneous; Phthalates; Phthalic acids; Phthalic Acids - blood; Phthalic Acids - toxicity; Phthalic Acids - urine; Public Health, Global Health, Social Medicine and Epidemiology; Public health. Hygiene; Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine; Reproduction - drug effects; Semen; Sperm motility; Sperm Motility - drug effects; Spermatozoa; Spermatozoa - drug effects; Sterility. Assisted procreation; Sweden; Urine; Sweden; Human; Reproduction; Phthalic acid; Fertility; Metabolite; Young adult; Biological marker; Male; Phthalate; Epidemiology; Public health
• ISSN: 1044-3983; 1531-5487; 1531-5487
• DOI: 10.1097/01.ede.0000164555.19041.01

Background: High exposure to phthalates, which are ubiquitous contaminants, has been shown in animal studies to produce detrimental effects on male reproductive functions. A recent study in humans reported dose-response relations between low phthalate levels in urine and human semen parameters, which raises the question whether humans are more sensitive to phthalate exposure than animals. Methods: Urine, serum, and semen samples were collected from 234 young Swedish men at the time of their medical conscript examination. Semen volume, sperm concentration, and motility were measured, together with sperm chromatin integrity (sperm chromatin structure assay) and biochemical markers of epididymal and prostatic function. We analyzed reproductive hormones in serum, and mono ethyl phthalate (MEP), mono ethylhexyl phthaltale (MEHP), mono benzyl phthalate (MBzP), mono butyl phthalate (MBP), and phthalic acid in urine. Results: For MBP, MBzP, and MEHP, no clear pattern of associations were observed with any of the reproductive biomarkers. Subjects within the highest quartile for MEP had fewer motile sperm (mean difference = 8.8%; 95% confidence interval = 0.8-17), more immotile sperms (8.9%; 0.3-18), and lower luteinizing hormone values (0.7 IU/L; 0.1-1.2), but there was no suggestion of harmful effects for most other endpoints. Phthalic acid actually was associated with improved function, as measured by several markers. Conclusions: The observed weak associations between 1 phthalate biomarker and impairment of a few aspects of reproductive function biomarkers were not consistent with results from a recent U.S. study. It is not yet possible to conclude whether phthalate exposure may reflect a hazard for human male reproduction.