title: Environmental exposure to pyrethroids and sperm sex chromosome disomy: a cross-sectional study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The role of environmental pesticide exposures, such as pyrethroids, and their relationship to sperm abnormalities are not well understood. This study investigated whether environmental exposure to pyrethroids was associated with altered frequency of sperm sex chromosome disomy in adult men.
  
  
  METHODS
  A sample of 75 subjects recruited through a Massachusetts infertility clinic provided urine and semen samples. Individual exposures were measured as urinary concentrations of three pyrethroid metabolites ((3-phenoxybenzoic acid (3PBA), cis- and trans- 3-(2,2-Dichlorovinyl)-1-methylcyclopropane-1,2-dicarboxylic acid (CDCCA and TDCCA)). Multiprobe fluorescence in situ hybridization for chromosomes X, Y, and 18 was used to determine XX, YY, XY, 1818, and total sex chromosome disomy in sperm nuclei. Poisson regression analysis was used to examine the association between aneuploidy rates and pyrethroid metabolites while adjusting for covariates.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Between 25-56% of the sample were above the limit of detection (LOD) for the pyrethroid metabolites. All sex chromosome disomies were increased by 7-30% when comparing men with CDCCA and TDCCA levels above the LOD to those below the LOD. For 3PBA, compared to those below the LOD, those above the LOD had YY18 disomy rates 1.28 times higher (95% CI: 1.15, 1.42) whereas a reduced rate was seen for XY18 and total disomy (IRR = 0.82; 95% CI: 0.77, 0.87; IRR = 0.93; 95% CI: 0.87-0.97), and no association was seen for XX18 and 1818.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings suggest that urinary concentrations of CDCCA and TDCCA above the LOD were associated with increased rates of aneuploidy. However the findings for 3BPA were not consistent. This is the first study to examine these relationships, and replication of our findings is needed before the association between pyrethroid metabolites and aneuploidy can be fully defined.
authors.forename: Heather A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Young
authors.forename: John D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Meeker
authors.forename: Sheena E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Martenies
authors.forename: Zaida I
authors.initials: ZI
authors.lastname: Figueroa
authors.forename: Dana Boyd
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Barr
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services, Washington, DC 20037, USA. mperry@gwu.edu.
authors.forename: Melissa J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Perry
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000782:Aneuploidy; D001565:Benzoates / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity*; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D006801:Humans; D017404:In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence; D007306:Insecticides / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity*; D008297:Male; D008404:Massachusetts; D008875:Middle Aged; D016012:Poisson Distribution; D011722:Pyrethrins / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity*; D012730:Sex Chromosomes / Q000473:pathology; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000187:drug effects; D053719:Tandem Mass Spectrometry; D024182:Uniparental Disomy / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D001565:Benzoates; D007306:Insecticides; D011722:Pyrethrins; C017618:3-phenoxybenzoic acid