title: Are urinary bisphenol A levels in men related to semen quality and embryo development after medically assisted reproduction?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate whether urinary bisphenol A (BPA) levels in men adversely influence semen quality and embryo development after medically assisted reproduction.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective, cohort study.
  
  
  METHODS
  University-based tertiary care center.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 149 couples undergoing their first or second IVF or intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) procedure.
  
  
  METHODS
  None.
  
  
  METHODS
  Semen quality and embryo development parameters until the blastocyst stage after the IVF or ICSI procedure.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Bisphenol A was detected in 98% (n = 146) of the samples with 0.1 ng/mL limit of detection. The geometric mean BPA concentration was 1.55 ng/mL. After the adjustment for potential confounders using linear regression models, an increase of natural logarithm transformed urinary BPA concentration was associated with lower natural logarithm transformed sperm count (β = -0.241, 95% confidence interval [CI] -0.470 to -0.012), natural logarithm transformed sperm concentration (β = -0.219, 95% CI -0.436 to -0.003), and sperm vitality (β = -2.660, 95% CI -4.991 to -0.329). The embryo development parameters from oocyte fertilization to the blastocyst formation stage were not affected by BPA exposure.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Urinary BPA concentrations in male partners of subfertile couples may influence semen quality parameters, but do not affect embryo development up to the blastocyst stage after medically assisted reproduction.
authors.affiliation: Department of Reproductive Medicine and Gynaecologic Endocrinology, University Medical Centre Maribor, Maribor, Slovenia. Electronic address: knez.jure@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Jure
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Knez
authors.affiliation: Institute of Public Health, Environmental Protection Institute, Maribor, Slovenia.
authors.forename: Roman
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kranvogl
authors.affiliation: Department of Reproductive Medicine and Gynaecologic Endocrinology, University Medical Centre Maribor, Maribor, Slovenia.
authors.forename: Barbara Pregl
authors.initials: BP
authors.lastname: Breznik
authors.affiliation: Institute of Public Health, Environmental Protection Institute, Maribor, Slovenia.
authors.forename: Ernest
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Vončina
authors.affiliation: Department of Reproductive Medicine and Gynaecologic Endocrinology, University Medical Centre Maribor, Maribor, Slovenia.
authors.forename: Veljko
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Vlaisavljević
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001559:Benzhydryl Compounds / Q000652:urine*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000652:urine; D047108:Embryonic Development / Q000502:physiology*; D004968:Estrogens, Non-Steroidal / Q000652:urine*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010636:Phenols / Q000652:urine*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D027724:Reproductive Techniques, Assisted / Q000639:trends*; D055101:Semen Analysis / Q000379:methods / Q000639:trends*; D000098826:Bisphenol A Compounds
chemical_list: D001559:Benzhydryl Compounds; D015415:Biomarkers; D004968:Estrogens, Non-Steroidal; D010636:Phenols; C006780:bisphenol A; D000098826:Bisphenol A Compounds
keywords: Bisphenol A; embryo development; male reproductive health; semen quality