title: Urinary Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Metabolites and Human Semen Quality in China.
abstract: Toxicological studies have demonstrated that polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) exposure impairs male reproductive health. However, the epidemiological evidence is limited and discordant. Our goal was to investigate the relationship between PAH exposures and human semen quality. We analyzed 12 urinary metabolites of PAHs from 933 men who sought semen quality analysis in an infertility clinic in Wuhan, China. Associations with semen quality were assessed using a multivariable linear regression. Restricted cubic splines were used to explore the dose-response relationships between urinary metabolites of PAHs and semen quality. We observed inverse associations between urinary 1-hydroxynaphthalene (1-OHNa) and sperm count, sperm concentration, and percentage of normal morphology (all p for trends <0.05) as well as between urinary ∑OHNa (sum of 1-OHNa and 2-OHNa) and sperm concentration (p for trend =0.04). Additionally, we found inverse associations between urinary 9-hydroxyphenanthrene (9-OHPh) and semen volume and sperm straight-line velocity (both p for trends <0.05) as well as between urinary ∑OHPh (sum of 1-, 2-, 3-, 4-, and 9-OHPh) and sperm count (p for trend =0.04). These dose-response relationships were further confirmed in the curves of the restricted cubic splines. Our data suggest that exposure to naphthalene and phenanthrene is related to decreased semen quality. Our results contribute to the growing body of evidence regarding the widespread exposure to PAHs and the detriment to male reproductive function.
authors.affiliation: Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology , Wuhan, Hubei PR China.|Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, Ministry of Education & Ministry of Environmental Protection, and State Key Laboratory of Environmental Health (incubating), School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology , Wuhan, Hubei PR China.
authors.forename: Pan
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology , Wuhan, Hubei PR China.|Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, Ministry of Education & Ministry of Environmental Protection, and State Key Laboratory of Environmental Health (incubating), School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology , Wuhan, Hubei PR China.
authors.forename: Yi-Xin
authors.initials: YX
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology , Wuhan, Hubei PR China.|Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, Ministry of Education & Ministry of Environmental Protection, and State Key Laboratory of Environmental Health (incubating), School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology , Wuhan, Hubei PR China.
authors.forename: Ying-Jun
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology , Wuhan, Hubei PR China.|Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, Ministry of Education & Ministry of Environmental Protection, and State Key Laboratory of Environmental Health (incubating), School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology , Wuhan, Hubei PR China.
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology , Wuhan, Hubei PR China.|Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, Ministry of Education & Ministry of Environmental Protection, and State Key Laboratory of Environmental Health (incubating), School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology , Wuhan, Hubei PR China.
authors.forename: Jin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology , Wuhan, Hubei PR China.|Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, Ministry of Education & Ministry of Environmental Protection, and State Key Laboratory of Environmental Health (incubating), School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology , Wuhan, Hubei PR China.
authors.forename: Chong
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology , Wuhan, Hubei PR China.|Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, Ministry of Education & Ministry of Environmental Protection, and State Key Laboratory of Environmental Health (incubating), School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology , Wuhan, Hubei PR China.
authors.forename: Zhen
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology , Wuhan, Hubei PR China.|Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, Ministry of Education & Ministry of Environmental Protection, and State Key Laboratory of Environmental Health (incubating), School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology , Wuhan, Hubei PR China.
authors.forename: Wen-Qing
authors.initials: WQ
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.affiliation: Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology , Wuhan, Hubei PR China.|Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, Ministry of Education & Ministry of Environmental Protection, and State Key Laboratory of Environmental Health (incubating), School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology , Wuhan, Hubei PR China.
authors.forename: Qiang
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-1439-404X
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Zeng
mesh_terms: D002681:China; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons / Q000378:metabolism*; D055101:Semen Analysis; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons