Table 5.
Associations between semen quality parameters and quartiles of heavy metal concentrations in the seminal fluid of participants in the EMI study
| Variable | Volume (< 1.5 mL) (n = 15) | Concentration (< 15 M/mL) (n = 39) | Total count (< 39 M) (n = 38) | Progressive motility (< 32%) (n = 23) | Viability (< 58%) (n = 38) | WHO morphology (< 30%) (n = 30) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quartile range (μg/L) | Adjusteda OR (95% CI) |
|||||
| Pb | ||||||
| 1 (LOD–2.48) | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 |
| 2 (2.49–5.40) | 0.86 (0.16, 4.67) | 1.57 (0.50, 4.92) | 1.66 (0.51, 5.46) | 4.36 (0.83, 22.81) | 8.00 (1.59, 40.30) | 3.83 (0.924, 15.90) |
| 3 (5.41–11.85) | 1.34 (0.25, 7.17) | 1.99 (0.62, 6.38) | 3.33 (1.01, 10.99) | 6.35 (1.21, 33.19) | 12.00 (2.34, 61.52) | 6.57 (1.57, 27.43) |
| 4 (≥ 11.86) | 2.07 (0.37, 11.51) | 1.94 (0.59, 6.35) | 2.00 (0.58, 6.85) | 2.40 (0.39, 14.49) | 10.15 (1.95, 52.92) | 2.02 (0.426, 9.55) |
| p trend | 0.95 | 0.64 | 0.24 | 0.09 | 0.006 | 0.06 |
| Cd | ||||||
| 1 (LOD–1.57) | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 |
| 2 (1.58–5.01) | 1.00 (0.19, 5.25) | 2.00 (0.62, 6.45) | 2.06 (0.61, 6.96) | 4.10 (0.74, 22.61) | 10.21 (1.98, 52.69) | 5.55 (1.31, 23.45) |
| 3 (5.02–16.29) | 0.22 (0.02, 2.16) | 2.57 (0.81, 8.13) | 3.66 (1.12, 12.00) | 6.88 (1.32, 35.82) | 9.53 (1.86, 48.91) | 4.41 (1.04, 18.70) |
| 4 (≥ 16.30) | 2.21 (0.54, 9.09) | 1.76 (0.55, 5.62) | 2.15 (0.65, 7.11) | 3.71 (0.68, 20.34) | 14.00 (2.76, 71.05) | 3.51 (0.82, 15.03) |
| p trend | 0.14 | 0.43 | 0.18 | 0.10 | 0.003 | 0.09 |
| As | ||||||
| 1 (LOD–13.60) | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 |
| 2 (13.61–17.95) | 0.43 (0.07, 2.70) | 1.25 (0.40, 3.89) | 2.50 (0.77, 8.13) | 2.09 (0.46, 9.41) | 1.06 (0.33, 3.36) | 2.60 (0.69, 9.83) |
| 3 (17.96–38.50) | 0.41 (0.06, 2.55) | 1.12 (0.35, 3.57) | 1.40 (0.41, 4.80) | 2.68 (0.61, 11.78) | 1.12 (0.35, 3.57) | 2.31 (0.60, 8.91) |
| 4 (≥ 38.51) | 2.19 (0.52, 9.22) | 2.07 (0.66, 6.52) | 3.07 (0.92, 10.25) | 2.98 (0.67, 13.18) | 2.07 (0.66, 6.52) | 3.09 (0.81, 11.84) |
| p trend | 0.10 | 0.59 | 0.21 | 0.48 | 0.54 | 0.37 |
| Ba | ||||||
| 1 (LOD–5.00) | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 |
| 2 (5.01–10.10) | 1.27 (0.22, 7.14) | 1.30 (0.44, 3.86) | 1.80 (0.59, 5.52) | 1.09 (0.28, 4.28) | 2.40 (0.68, 8.39) | 1.91 (0.57, 6.38) |
| 3 (10.11–26.90) | 2.75 (0.59, 12.82) | 1.00 (0.33, 3.06) | 1.39 (0.44, 4.37) | 2.13 (0.59, 7.62) | 3.52 (1.02, 12.14) | 2.03 (0.60, 6.79) |
| 4 (≥ 26.91) | 1.47 (0.26, 8.37) | 1.14 (0.37, 3.51) | 1.87 (0.59, 5.92) | 1.26 (0.32, 5.01) | 5.67 (1.62, 19.88) | 1.28 (0.35, 4.63) |
| p trend | 0.51 | 0.96 | 0.68 | 0.62 | 0.04 | 0.61 |
| Hg | ||||||
| 1 (LOD–5.25) | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 |
| 2 (5.26–11.14) | 1.04 (0.13, 8.26) | 1.30 (0.42, 3.96) | 1.54 (0.50, 4.80) | 0.58 (0.14, 2.35) | 0.56 (0.17, 1.80) | 0.77 (0.22, 2.72) |
| 3 (11.15–37.46) | 2.26 (0.39, 13.25) | 0.89 (0.29, 2.77) | 1.25 (0.40, 3.89) | 0.72 (0.19, 2.74) | 0.53 (0.16, 1.71) | 1.08 (0.33, 3.58) |
| 4 (≥ 11.47) | 4.13 (0.71, 24.02) | 1.26 (0.40, 3.92) | 1.26 (0.39, 4.06) | 1.57 (0.45, 5.42) | 2.03 (0.66, 6.22) | 1.52 (0.46, 5.02) |
| p trend | 0.24 | 0.89 | 0.90 | 0.46 | 0.07 | 0.74 |
| U | ||||||
| 1 (LOD–0.50) | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 |
| 2 (0.51–1.50) | 0.27 (0.05, 1.51) | 1.32 (0.40, 4.33) | 1.91 (0.57, 6.38) | 8.00 (0.89, 71.57) | 6.75 (1.30, 34.94) | 4.33 (1.02, 18.25) |
| 3 (1.51–3.20) | 0. 22 (0.03, 1.51) | 3.14 (1.00, 9.89) | 3.28 (1.00, 10.73) | 24.00 (2.83, 203.68) | 15.75 (3.08, 80.40) | 6.35 (1.52, 26.45) |
| 4 (≥ 3.21) | 0.68 (0.16, 2.81) | 2.65 (0.82, 8.56) | 3.24 (0.97, 10.82) | 5.60 (0.58, 53.94) | 15.95 (3.08, 82.70) | 3.57 (0.81, 15.74) |
| p trend | 0.22 | 0.14 | 0.15 | 0.002 | 0.000 | 0.05 |
Entries in italics indicate statististical significance
aORs adjusted for age, cigarette smoking, alcohol intake, and period of sexual abstinence