Table 4.
Concentration of La, Ce, Eu, Gd, and Ca in semen of nonsmokers, short-term, medium-term smokers, long-term smokers, and extremely long-term smokers, the group of normozoospermic males (group I), the group of males with abnormal semen values (group II), and both groups combined
| All individuals | Group I | Group II | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| N | Median (minimum–maximum) | p | N | Median (minimum–maximum) | p | N | Median (minimum–maximum) | p | |
| La concentration (µg/kg dw) | |||||||||
| Never smokers | 81 | 18.9 (2.97–75.6) |
0.05 a 0.01 b |
38 | 22.5 (4.14–75.6) | 0.45 | 43 | 16.6 2(.97–53.8) | 0.03 |
| Short-term smokers | 14 | 9.50a,b (2.27–43.3) | 7 | 9.99 (2.27–43.3) | 7 | 18.2e (7.74–60.2) | |||
| Medium-term smokers | 16 | 16.4 (6.27–269) | 7 | 15.9 (8.66–269) | 9 | 17.0 (6.27–32.7) | |||
| Long-term smokers | 24 | 23.6a (3.51–65.2) | 12 | 19.5 (5.40–55.2) | 12 | 25.0 (3.51–65.2) | |||
| Extremely long-term smokers | 21 | 27.5b (3.02–79.0) | 12 | 24.8 (3.02–46.9) | 9 | 37.1e (7.59–79.0) | |||
| Ce concentration (µg/kg dw) | |||||||||
| Never smokers | 81 | 40.2 (4.63–136) | 0.01 | 38 | 47.5 (8.92–136) | 0.47 | 43 | 36.2 (4.63–109) | 0.03 |
| Short-term smokers | 14 | 18.7c (4.52–93.5) | 7 | 22.8 (4.52–93.5) | 7 | 18.2f (7.74–60.2) | |||
| Medium-term smokers | 16 | 33.5 (12.1–140) | 7 | 29.8 (13.0–140) | 9 | 37.1 (12.1–67.5) | |||
| Long-term smokers | 24 | 51.4 (6.03–140) | 12 | 38.9 (9.17–115) | 12 | 55.0 (6.03–140) | |||
| Extremely long-term smokers | 21 | 65.7c (6.04–167) | 12 | 49.4 (6.04–103) | 9 | 82.0f (14.4–167) | |||
| Eu concentration (µg/kg dw) | |||||||||
| Never smokers | 53 | 0.64 (0.15–1.34) | 0.31 | 27 | 0.65 (0.15–1.34) | 0.65 | 26 | 0.62 (0.44–1.20) | 0.40 |
| Short-term smokers | 5 | 0.78 (0.06–0.90) | 3 | 0.78 (0.06–0.90) | 2 | 0.70 (0.59–0.81) | |||
| Medium-term smokers | 9 | 0.71 (0.54–1.08) | 7 | 0.90 (0.54–1.08) | 9 | 0.69 (0.55–0.75) | |||
| Long-term smokers | 16 | 0.77 (0.49–1.95) | 12 | 0.68 (0.49–1.53) | 12 | 0.77 (0.54–1.95) | |||
| Extremely long-term smokers | 17 | 0.70 (0.53–1.42) | 9 | 0.70 (0.57–1.14) | 9 | 0.76 (0.53–1.42) | |||
| Gd concentration (µg/kg dw) | |||||||||
| Never smokers | 81 | 3.15 (0.44–12.0) | 0.00 | 38 | 3.55 (0.56–12.0) | 0.35 | 43 | 2.89 (0.44–7.77) | 0.03 |
| Short-term smokers | 14 | 1.57d (0.38–6.32) | 7 | 1.54 (0.38–6.32) | 7 | 1.60g (0.70–4.85) | |||
| Medium-term smokers | 16 | 2.66 (0.96–7.55) | 7 | 2.56 (1.18–7.55) | 9 | 2.77 (0.96–4.97) | |||
| Long-term smokers | 24 | 3.80 (0.50–9.87) | 12 | 2.84 (1.08–9.21) | 12 | 3.83 (0.50–9.87) | |||
| Extremely long-term smokers | 21 | 4.58d (0.75–11.4) | 12 | 4.15 (0.75–7.10) | 9 | 5.77g (1.05–11.4) | |||
| Ca concentration (mg/kg dw) | |||||||||
| Never smokers | 81 | 3889 (1111–10,305) | 0.04 | 38 | 3833 (1111–6816) | 0.59 | 43 | 3889 (2126–10,305) | 0.08 |
| Short-term smokers | 14 | 3207 (484–7083) | 7 | 3312 (484–5739) | 7 | 3102 (2232–7083) | |||
| Medium-term smokers | 16 | 3992 (2659–6276) | 7 | 4098 (2659–5517) | 9 | 3886 (2699–6276) | |||
| Long-term smokers | 24 | 4637 (2620–17,191) | 12 | 4042 (2825–7303) | 12 | 5330 (2620–17,191) | |||
| Extremely long-term smokers | 21 | 4809 (1719–14,617) | 12 | 4214 (1719–5863) | 9 | 5138 (3060–14,617) | |||
Statistically significant differences are shown in bold type
Medians indicated with identical letters are statistically different (p < 0.05). Short-term smokers <1 year; medium-term smokers 1–<5 years; long-term smokers 5–<10 years; and extremely long-term smokers ≥10 years