title: Spermatogenic capacity in fertile men with elevated exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Endocrine disrupting industrial chemicals, such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), are suspected to adversely affect male reproductive functions.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The Faroe Islands community exhibits an unusually wide range of exposures to dietary contaminants, and in this setting we examined the possible association between PCB exposure and semen quality and reproductive hormones in fertile Faroese men.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants in this cross-sectional study include 266 proven fertile men residing in the Faroe Islands. PCB levels and hormone profiles were measured in serum samples taken at the clinical examination that included semen quality parameters.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A significant positive association was seen between serum-PCB and the testosterone/estradiol ratio (p=0.04). In the unadjusted analyses, elevated PCB exposure was associated with increased serum concentrations of SHBG (p=0.01) and FSH (p=0.05). We found no association between the serum PCB concentration and the semen quality variables.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In this population of highly exposed fertile men, the current serum-PCB concentration was associated with higher androgen/estrogen ratio. Further studies are needed to establish the findings and further document PCB-associated hormonal effects, any time windows of increased susceptibility, and the role of PCB in sub-fecundity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Occupational Medicine and Public Health, The Faroese Hospital System, Tórshavn, Faroe Islands. Electronic address: maria@health.fo.
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Petersen
authors.affiliation: Department of Occupational Medicine and Public Health, The Faroese Hospital System, Tórshavn, Faroe Islands.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Halling
authors.affiliation: Department of Occupational Medicine and Public Health, The Faroese Hospital System, Tórshavn, Faroe Islands.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Weihe
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark; Rigshospitalet, University Department of Growth and Reproduction, Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: T K
authors.initials: TK
authors.lastname: Jensen
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark; Department of Environmental Health, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02215, USA.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Grandjean
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Nielsen
authors.affiliation: Rigshospitalet, University Department of Growth and Reproduction, Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Jørgensen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003718:Denmark; D052244:Endocrine Disruptors / Q000097:blood*; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000097:blood*; D015200:Fluoroimmunoassay; D042341:Gonadal Hormones / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D036361:Peptide Hormones / Q000097:blood*; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls / Q000097:blood*; D012661:Semen / Q000737:chemistry / Q000187:drug effects; D055101:Semen Analysis; D013091:Spermatogenesis / Q000187:drug effects*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D052244:Endocrine Disruptors; D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D042341:Gonadal Hormones; D036361:Peptide Hormones; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls
keywords: Exposure; Faroe Islands; Fertile men; PCB; Reproductive hormones; Semen quality