title: Effect of smoking on blood lead levels in workers and role of reactive oxygen species in lead-induced sperm chromatin DNA damage.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate whether cigarette smoking affects the blood lead levels (BLL) and whether exposure to lead introduces sperm chromatin DNA damage in factory workers.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional study.
  
  
  METHODS
  A battery plant in Taiwan.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighty male workers employed within a battery plant.
  
  
  METHODS
  Standard semen analysis was performed according to the World Health Organization guidelines.
  
  
  METHODS
  Assessment of BLL, sperm chromatin DNA structure, reactive oxygen species generation and other conventional parameters of semen quality.
  
  
  RESULTS
  As compared with nonsmoking workers, the BLL were found to be considerably higher among smokers. Statistically significant differences were found in the sperm DNA denaturation (alphaT) induction and the percentage of sperm with increased DNA denaturation (COMP alphaT) in workers with moderate BLL (>or=25 microg/dL). After adjustment for smoking propensity, a positive correlation was discernible between BLL and alphaT, COMP alphaT, and morphologic abnormality. Furthermore, alphaT and COMP alphaT were also found to have positive correlations with sperm superoxide anion production.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Workers with higher BLL were found to be at a higher risk of sperm morphologic abnormality and chromatin DNA integrity. These data are significant because they can facilitate the estimation of lead exposure in reproductive toxicology.
authors.affiliation: Department of Safety, Health and Environmental Engineering, National Kaohsiung First University of Science and Technology, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Ping-Chi
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Hsu
authors.forename: Ho-Yuan
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Yueliang Leon
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Yen-Chun
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Tung-Sheng
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Shih
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002617:Chemical Industry; D002843:Chromatin / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004249:DNA Damage; D006801:Humans; D007854:Lead / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000097:blood* / Q000494:pharmacology; D007855:Lead Poisoning / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D055101:Semen Analysis; D012907:Smoking / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D002843:Chromatin; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D007854:Lead