PMID- 17192596
OWN - NLM
STAT- MEDLINE
DCOM- 20071108
LR  - 20131121
IS  - 0196-3635 (Print)
IS  - 0196-3635 (Linking)
VI  - 28
IP  - 3
DP  - 2007 May-Jun
TI  - Impaired semen quality associated with environmental DDT exposure in young men 
      living in a malaria area in the Limpopo Province, South Africa.
PG  - 423-34
AB  - The pesticide DDT [1,1,1-trichloro-2,2-bis(chlorodiphenyl)ethane] is 1 of the 12 
      persistent organic pollutants (POPs) under negotiation at the Stockholm 
      Convention to restrict or ban their production and use because of their toxicity, 
      resistance to breakdown, bioaccumulation, and potential for being transported 
      over long distances. DDT has estrogenic potential, and the main metabolite, 
      p,p'-dichlorodiphenyl-dichloroethylene (p,p'-DDE), is a potent antiandrogen. In 
      response to mounting evidence on the endocrine-disrupting influence of 
      environmental chemicals on human health, this epidemiological study was initiated 
      to test the hypothesis that nonoccupational exposure to DDT affects male 
      reproductive parameters. In a cross-sectional study, healthy male subjects 
      (n=311) between 18 and 40 years (23+/-5) of age were recruited from 3 communities 
      in an endemic malaria area in which DDT is sprayed annually. A semen analysis 
      according to World Health Organization (WHO) standards was performed. The 
      Hamilton Thorne Computer Assisted Sperm Analysis (CASA) system was simultaneously 
      used to determine additional sperm motility parameters. Blood plasma samples were 
      assayed for p,p'-DDT and metabolites as a measure of exposure. The exposure 
      levels were expressed as lipid-adjusted p,p'-DDT and p,p'-DDE values. The mean 
      p,p'-DDT and p,p'-DDE concentrations were 90.23 microg/g(+/-102.4) and 215.47 
      microg/g(+/-210.6), respectively. The multivariate linear regression analyses 
      indicated that mean CASA motility was lower with a higher p,p'-DDE concentration 
      (beta=-0.02, P=.001) and the CASA parameter beat cross-frequency (BCF) was higher 
      with a higher p,p'-DDT concentration (beta=0.01, P=.000). There was also a 
      statistically significant positive association between percent sperm with 
      cytoplasmic droplets and p,p'-DDT concentration (beta=0.0014, P=.014). The 
      ejaculate volume (mean 1.9+/-1.33 mL) was lower than the normal range (>or=2.0 
      mL) according to WHO, and a significant decrease with increasing p,p'-DDE values 
      was seen for both square root-transformed volume (beta=-0.0003; P=.024) and count 
      (beta=-0.003; P=.04). Although there were no associations between either p,p'-DDT 
      or p,p'-DDE concentrations and the rest of the seminal parameters, the incidence 
      of teratozoospermia (99%; normal sperm<15%) was high. Twenty-eight percent of the 
      study group presented with oligozoospermia (<20x10(6) sperm/mL), which had a 
      significant positive association with p,p'-DDE (odds ratio [OR]=1.001, P=.03). 
      There was a significant positive association between participants with 
      asthenozoospermia (32%) and p,p'-DDT (OR 1.003, P=.006) and p,p'-DDE (OR 1.001, 
      P=.02). The results imply that nonoccupational exposure to DDT is associated with 
      impaired seminal parameters in men. The high exposure levels of p,p'-DDT and 
      p,p'-DDE are of concern because these levels could have far-reaching implications 
      for reproductive and general health.
FAU - Aneck-Hahn, Natalie H
AU  - Aneck-Hahn NH
AD  - Environmental Health, School of Health Systems & Public Health, Department of 
      Urology, University of Pretoria, PO Box 667, Pretoria, 0001, South Africa.
FAU - Schulenburg, Gloria W
AU  - Schulenburg GW
FAU - Bornman, Maria S
AU  - Bornman MS
FAU - Farias, Paulina
AU  - Farias P
FAU - de Jager, Christiaan
AU  - de Jager C
LA  - eng
PT  - Journal Article
DEP - 20061227
PL  - United States
TA  - J Androl
JT  - Journal of andrology
JID - 8106453
RN  - 0 (Insecticides)
RN  - CIW5S16655 (DDT)
SB  - IM
MH  - Adult
MH  - Cross-Sectional Studies
MH  - DDT/*toxicity
MH  - *Environmental Exposure
MH  - Humans
MH  - Insecticides/*toxicity
MH  - Malaria/prevention & control
MH  - Male
MH  - Semen/*drug effects
MH  - South Africa
MH  - *Sperm Count
EDAT- 2006/12/29 09:00
MHDA- 2007/11/09 09:00
CRDT- 2006/12/29 09:00
PHST- 2006/12/29 09:00 [pubmed]
PHST- 2007/11/09 09:00 [medline]
PHST- 2006/12/29 09:00 [entrez]
AID - jandrol.106.001701 [pii]
AID - 10.2164/jandrol.106.001701 [doi]
PST - ppublish
SO  - J Androl. 2007 May-Jun;28(3):423-34. doi: 10.2164/jandrol.106.001701. Epub 2006 
      Dec 27.