ORIGINAL PAPER
Sperm quality and DNA integrity of coke oven workers exposed to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons
 
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1
Old Dominion University, Norfolk, USA (College of Health Sciences, School of Community and Environmental Health)
 
2
Council of Labor Affairs, Executive Yuan, Taipei, Taiwan (Institute of Occupational Safety and Health)
 
3
Chung Shan Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan (Department of Occupational Safety and Health)
 
4
Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan (College of Health Sciences, Department of Medical Laboratory Science and Biotechnology)
 
5
Texas A&M Health Science Center, Houston, USA (Institute of Biosciences and Technology, Center for Cancer and Stem Cell Biology)
 
6
Kaohsiung Municipal Hsiao-Kang Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan (Department of Occupational Medicine and Internal Medicine)
 
 
Online publication date: 2016-11-04
 
 
Corresponding author
Hueiwang Anna Jeng   

Old Dominion University, College of Health Sciences, School of Community and Environmental Health, 4608 Hampton Boulevard, Health Sciences Building Room 3140, Norfolk, VA 23508, USAOld Dominion University, Norfolk, USA
 
 
Int J Occup Med Environ Health. 2016;29(6):915-26
 
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ABSTRACT
Objectives: The objective of this study was to assess sperm quality and deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) integrity of coke oven workers exposed to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) as compared to control subjects. Material and methods: The coke oven workers (N = 52) and administrative staff (N = 35) of a steel plant served as the exposed and control groups, respectively. Exposure to PAHs was assessed by measuring 1-hydroxypyren. Analysis of sperm quality (concentration, motility, vitality, and morphology) was performed simultaneously with sperm DNA integrity analysis, including DNA fragmentation, denaturation, bulky DNA adducts, and 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2’-deoxyguanosine (8-oxo-dGuo). A questionnaire was conducted to collect demographic and potential confounding data. Results: The coke oven workers had lower percentages of sperm motility, vitality and normal morphology than the control group, but the difference was not significant. For DNA integrity, the coke oven workers had significantly higher concentrations of bulky DNA adducts and 8-oxo-dGuo than the control subjects (p = 0.009 and p = 0.048, respectively). However, DNA fragmentation percentages did not significantly increase as compared to those in the subjects from the control group (p = 0.232). There was no correlation between sperm quality parameters and DNA integrity indicators. Conclusions: Occupational exposure of the coke oven workers to PAHs was associated with decreased sperm DNA integrity. Int J Occup Med Environ Health 2016;29(6):915–926
eISSN:1896-494X
ISSN:1232-1087
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