Serum multiple organochlorine pesticides in relation to testosterone concentrations among Chinese men from an infertility clinic

Abstract

Background: Organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) are endocrine-disrupting chemicals and may alter male reproductive hormone concentrations.

Objective: To explore the associations between multiple OCP exposures and serum testosterone concentrations among Chinese men.

Methods: We investigated 421 men who provided serum samples from an infertility clinic in Wuhan, China. Each man completed a questionnaire concerning demographic characteristics and lifestyle habits. Serum concentrations of 18 OCPs and total testosterone were measured. Linear regression models were used to explore whether serum OCP levels were associated with altered testosterone concentrations, and potential effect modifications by age and body mass index (BMI) were also examined.

Results: After adjusting for potential confounders, elevated dieldrin and p,p'-DDD levels had monotonically negative and positive exposure-response associations with testosterone concentrations, respectively (-30.98 ng/dL, 95% CI: -72.34, 10.37; P for trend = 0.12 and 41.31 ng/dL, 95% CI: -0.32, 82.93; P for trend = 0.06 for the highest vs. non-detectable exposure category, respectively). After stratification by age and BMI, dieldrin in relation to decreased testosterone concentrations was more pronounced among men aged <30 years old, and p,p'-DDD in relation to increased testosterone concentrations was stronger among men aged ≥30 years old and among men with a BMI <24 kg/m², though the differences were not statistically significant.

Conclusion: The study found evidence that serum dieldrin and p,p'-DDD concentrations might be associated with altered serum testosterone concentrations.

Keywords: Effect modification; Endocrine-disrupting chemicals; Men; Organochlorine pesticides; Testosterone.