Recent cadmium exposure among male partners may affect oocyte fertilization during in vitro fertilization (IVF).
OBJECTIVE
We recently reported evidence suggesting associations between urine cadmium concentrations, reflecting long-term exposure, measured in 25 female patients (relative risk = 1.41, P = 0.412) and 15 of their male partners (relative risk = 0.19, P = 0.097) and oocyte fertilization in vitro. Blood cadmium concentrations reflect more recent exposure.


METHODS
We here incorporate those measures into our prior data set and employ multivariable log-binomial regression models to generate hypotheses concerning the relative effects of long-term and recent cadmium exposure on oocyte fertilization in vitro.


RESULTS
No association is indicated for blood cadmium from women and oocyte fertilization, adjusted for urine cadmium and creatinine, blood lead and mercury, age, race/ethnicity and cigarette smoking (relative risk = 0.88, P = 0.828). However, we suggest an inverse adjusted association between blood cadmium from men and oocyte fertilization (relative risk = 0.66, P = 0.143).


CONCLUSIONS
These results suggest that consideration of long-term and recent exposures are both important for assessing the effect of partner cadmium levels on oocyte fertilization in vitro.
Department of Epidemiology, University at Albany, State University of New York, Rensselaer, NY, USA.
Keewan
K
Kim
Victor Y
VY
Fujimoto
Patrick J
PJ
Parsons
Amy J
AJ
Steuerwald
Richard W
RW
Browne
Michael S
MS
Bloom
D002104:Cadmium / Q000097:blood / Q000633:toxicity* / Q000652:urine; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D005260:Female; D005307:Fertilization in Vitro / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012737:Sex Factors
D002104:Cadmium