title: Elevated incidence of hypospadias in two sicilian towns where exposure to industrial and agricultural pollutants is high.
abstract: We found significant elevated incidence of hypospadias in two towns in Southeastern Sicily selected on the basis of the presence of intense industrial (Augusta) and agricultural (Vittoria) activities. Cases and controls were chosen in records collected from a surveillance system on abnormal live births in the same area and in a large city (Catania) located in an area at low risk of exposure to environmental pollutants. From 1991 to 1998, 16 cases of isolated hypospadias were recorded among male live births in Augusta (12.1 per 1000 male live births) and 24 cases in Vittoria (7.4 per 1000 male live births) with an incidence significantly higher than that expected (3.2 per 1000 in Southeastern Sicily). Relative risks in Augusta and Vittoria were 3.8 (95% confidence interval: 2.16-6.14) and 2.3 (95% confidence interval: 1.48-3.43; P=0.00003 and 0.04, respectively). In Augusta, the incidence of hypospadias was higher than in Vittoria. Significant log odds ratios were found for occupational exposure in fathers both in Augusta and Vittoria (P=0.0478 and 0.026, respectively). However, daily contact with pollutants in Augusta may not be sufficient by itself to determine hypospadias and other factors might be involved. Similar factors may act also in Vittoria. Thus, contact with large amounts of pesticides is, by itself, a risk factor for hypospadias, though genetic and other environmental factors might be involved.
authors.affiliation: Sicilian Registry of Congenital Malformations, University of Catania, Catania, Italy.
authors.forename: Sebastiano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bianca
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Li Volti
authors.forename: Manuela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Caruso-Nicoletti
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ettore
authors.forename: Patrizia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Barone
authors.forename: Lorenzo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lupo
authors.forename: Salvatore
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Li Volti
mesh_terms: D000383:Agriculture; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D015986:Confounding Factors, Epidemiologic; D000013:Congenital Abnormalities / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007021:Hypospadias / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015994:Incidence; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D016273:Occupational Exposure; D010575:Pesticides / Q000009:adverse effects*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D012042:Registries; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012306:Risk; D014505:Urban Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
chemical_list: D010575:Pesticides