Urinary bisphenol A levels in young Urinary Bisphenol A Levels in Young Men: Association with Reproductive Hormones and Semen Quality

TY - JOUR

T1 - Urinary bisphenol A levels in young Urinary Bisphenol A Levels in Young Men

T2 - Association with Reproductive Hormones and Semen Quality

AU - Lassen, Tina Harmer

AU - Frederiksen, Hanne

AU - Jensen, Tina Kold

AU - Petersen, Jørgen Holm

AU - Joensen, Ulla N

AU - Main, Katharina M

AU - Skakkebaek, Niels E

AU - Juul, Anders

AU - Jørgensen, Niels

AU - Andersson, Anna-Maria

PY - 2014

Y1 - 2014

N2 - BACKGROUND: Few human studies have examined bisphenol A (BPA) exposure in relation to semen quality and reproductive hormones in men, and results are divergent.OBJECTIVES: We examined associations between urinary BPA concentration and reproductive hormones, as well as semen quality, in young men from the general population.METHODS: Our study population consisted of 308 young men from the general population. Urinary BPA concentration was measured by isotope dilution TurboFlow-liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. We used multiple linear regression analysis to estimate associations between BPA concentration and reproductive hormones and semen quality, adjusting for confounding factors.RESULTS: We found that 98% of the men had detectable urinary levels of BPA. Median (5th-95th percentiles) BPA concentration was 3.25 ng/mL (0.59-14.89 ng/mL). Men with BPA concentrations above the lowest quartile had higher concentrations of serum testosterone, luteinizing hormone (LH), estradiol, and free testosterone compared with the lowest quartile (p trend ≤ 0.02). Men in the highest quartile of BPA excretion had on average 18% higher total testosterone (95% CI: 8, 28%), 22% higher LH (95% CI: 6, 39%), and 13% higher estradiol (95% CI: 4, 24%) compared with lowest quartile. Men in the highest quartile of BPA also had significantly lower percentage progressive motile spermatozoa compared with men in the lowest quartile (-6.7 percentage points, 95% CI: -11.76, -1.63). BPA was not associated with other semen parameters. Adjusting for dietary patterns did not influence the results.CONCLUSIONS: The pattern of associations between BPA and reproductive hormones could indicate an antiandrogenic or antiestrogenic effect, or both, of BPA on the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal hormone feedback system, possibly through a competitive inhibition at the receptor level. However, additional research is needed to confirm our findings and to further test the suggested potential mechanisms.

AB - BACKGROUND: Few human studies have examined bisphenol A (BPA) exposure in relation to semen quality and reproductive hormones in men, and results are divergent.OBJECTIVES: We examined associations between urinary BPA concentration and reproductive hormones, as well as semen quality, in young men from the general population.METHODS: Our study population consisted of 308 young men from the general population. Urinary BPA concentration was measured by isotope dilution TurboFlow-liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. We used multiple linear regression analysis to estimate associations between BPA concentration and reproductive hormones and semen quality, adjusting for confounding factors.RESULTS: We found that 98% of the men had detectable urinary levels of BPA. Median (5th-95th percentiles) BPA concentration was 3.25 ng/mL (0.59-14.89 ng/mL). Men with BPA concentrations above the lowest quartile had higher concentrations of serum testosterone, luteinizing hormone (LH), estradiol, and free testosterone compared with the lowest quartile (p trend ≤ 0.02). Men in the highest quartile of BPA excretion had on average 18% higher total testosterone (95% CI: 8, 28%), 22% higher LH (95% CI: 6, 39%), and 13% higher estradiol (95% CI: 4, 24%) compared with lowest quartile. Men in the highest quartile of BPA also had significantly lower percentage progressive motile spermatozoa compared with men in the lowest quartile (-6.7 percentage points, 95% CI: -11.76, -1.63). BPA was not associated with other semen parameters. Adjusting for dietary patterns did not influence the results.CONCLUSIONS: The pattern of associations between BPA and reproductive hormones could indicate an antiandrogenic or antiestrogenic effect, or both, of BPA on the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal hormone feedback system, possibly through a competitive inhibition at the receptor level. However, additional research is needed to confirm our findings and to further test the suggested potential mechanisms.

KW - Benzhydryl Compounds

KW - Estradiol

KW - Humans

KW - Luteinizing Hormone

KW - Male

KW - Phenols

KW - Semen

KW - Semen Analysis

KW - Testosterone

U2 - 10.1289/ehp.1307309

DO - 10.1289/ehp.1307309

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 24786630

SN - 0091-6765

VL - 122

SP - 478

EP - 484

JO - Environmental Health Perspectives

JF - Environmental Health Perspectives

IS - 5

ER -