title: Effects of electromagnetic fields exposure on plasma hormonal and inflammatory pathway biomarkers in male workers of a power plant.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The potential health risks of electromagnetic fields (EMFs) have currently raised considerable public concerns. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of EMF exposure on levels of plasma hormonal and inflammatory pathway biomarkers in male workers of an electric power plant.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seventy-seven male workers with high occupational EMF exposure and 77 male controls with low exposure, matched by age, were selected from a cross-sectional study. Moreover, high EMF exposure group was with walkie-talkies usage and exposed to power frequency EMF at the work places for a longer duration than control group. A questionnaire was applied to obtain relevant information, including sociodemographic characteristics, lifestyle factors, and EMF exposures. Plasma levels of testosterone, estradiol, melatonin, NF-κB, heat-shock protein (HSP) 70, HSP27, and TET1 were determined by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.
  
  
  RESULTS
  EMF exposure group had statistically significantly lower levels of testosterone (β = -0.3 nmol/L, P = 0.015), testosterone/estradiol (T/E2) ratio (β = -15.6, P = 0.037), and NF-κB (β = -20.8 ng/L, P = 0.045) than control group. Moreover, joint effects between occupational EMF exposure and employment duration, mobile phone fees, years of mobile phone usage, and electric fees on levels of testosterone and T/E2 ratio were observed. Nevertheless, no statistically significant associations of EMF exposures with plasma estradiol, melatonin, HSP70, HSP27, and TET1 were found.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The findings showed that chronic exposure to EMF could decrease male plasma testosterone and T/E2 ratio, and it might possibly affect reproductive functions in males. No significant associations of EMF exposure with inflammatory pathway biomarkers were found.
authors: Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, 866 Yu-Hang-Tang Road, Xihu District, Hangzhou, 310058, Zhejiang, China. zpwang7891@126.com.|Chronic Disease Research Institute, School of Public Health, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, Zhejiang, China. zpwang7891@126.com.
authors: Zhaopin
authors: Z
authors: Wang
authors: Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, 866 Yu-Hang-Tang Road, Xihu District, Hangzhou, 310058, Zhejiang, China.|Chronic Disease Research Institute, School of Public Health, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, Zhejiang, China.
authors: Ying
authors: Y
authors: Fei
authors: Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, 866 Yu-Hang-Tang Road, Xihu District, Hangzhou, 310058, Zhejiang, China.|Chronic Disease Research Institute, School of Public Health, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, Zhejiang, China.
authors: Hui
authors: H
authors: Liu
authors: Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, 866 Yu-Hang-Tang Road, Xihu District, Hangzhou, 310058, Zhejiang, China.|Chronic Disease Research Institute, School of Public Health, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, Zhejiang, China.
authors: Shuangshuang
authors: S
authors: Zheng
authors: Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, 866 Yu-Hang-Tang Road, Xihu District, Hangzhou, 310058, Zhejiang, China.|Chronic Disease Research Institute, School of Public Health, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, Zhejiang, China.
authors: Zheyuan
authors: Z
authors: Ding
authors: Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, 866 Yu-Hang-Tang Road, Xihu District, Hangzhou, 310058, Zhejiang, China.|Chronic Disease Research Institute, School of Public Health, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, Zhejiang, China.
authors: Wen
authors: W
authors: Jin
authors: Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, 866 Yu-Hang-Tang Road, Xihu District, Hangzhou, 310058, Zhejiang, China.|Chronic Disease Research Institute, School of Public Health, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, Zhejiang, China.
authors: Yifeng
authors: Y
authors: Pan
authors: Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, 866 Yu-Hang-Tang Road, Xihu District, Hangzhou, 310058, Zhejiang, China.|Chronic Disease Research Institute, School of Public Health, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, Zhejiang, China.
authors: Zexin
authors: Z
authors: Chen
authors: Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, 866 Yu-Hang-Tang Road, Xihu District, Hangzhou, 310058, Zhejiang, China.|Chronic Disease Research Institute, School of Public Health, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, Zhejiang, China.
authors: Lijuan
authors: L
authors: Wang
authors: Bioelectromagnetics Laboratory, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, Zhejiang, China.
authors: Guangdi
authors: G
authors: Chen
authors: Bioelectromagnetics Laboratory, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, Zhejiang, China.
authors: Zhengping
authors: Z
authors: Xu
authors: Department of Neurosurgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310058, Zhejiang, China.
authors: Yongjian
authors: Y
authors: Zhu
authors: Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, 866 Yu-Hang-Tang Road, Xihu District, Hangzhou, 310058, Zhejiang, China. yunxianyu@zju.edu.cn.|Chronic Disease Research Institute, School of Public Health, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, Zhejiang, China. yunxianyu@zju.edu.cn.
authors: Yunxian
authors: Y
authors: Yu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D040421:Cell Phone / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004574:Electromagnetic Fields / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004651:Employment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D004958:Estradiol / Q000097:blood; D055551:HSP27 Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000097:blood; D018840:HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008550:Melatonin / Q000097:blood; D008875:Middle Aged; D006899:Mixed Function Oxygenases / Q000097:blood; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000097:blood; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000032:analysis*; D011210:Power Plants; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000097:blood; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood; D013997:Time Factors; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D055551:HSP27 Heat-Shock Proteins; D018840:HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins; D016328:NF-kappa B; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D013739:Testosterone; D004958:Estradiol; D006899:Mixed Function Oxygenases; C462539:TET1 protein, human; D008550:Melatonin
keywords: Electromagnetic fields; Heat–shock protein; Melatonin; NF-κB; TET1; Testosterone/estradiol