Sperm DNA damage correlates with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons biomarker in coke-oven workers.

[[abstract]]Objectives: The aim was to determine whether occupational exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in men has adverse effect on semen quality. Methods: Forty-eight coke-oven workers, including 16 topside-oven (TO) workers and 32 sideoven (SO) workers, were studied. Ambient PAHs exposure, urinary 1-hydroxypyrene (1-OHP) levels, and parameters of semen quality were determined. Results: TO workers had significantly higher ambient PAHs exposure (3,436.1±3,411.0 vs. 1,123.1±1,829.3 ng/m3, P<0.01), urinary 1-OHP levels (207.8±176.4 vs. 54.0±44.8 μg/g, P<0.001), frequency of oligospermia (18.8 vs. 0%, P<0.05), and morphological abnormality in sperm (32.3 vs. 14.6%, P<0.01) than SO workers. Among cigarette smokers, TO workers had significantly higher rates of DNA denaturation in spermatozoa (αT) and percentage of sperm with increased DNA denaturation (COMP αT) levels than SO workers (246.2±49.5 vs. 198.1±30.3 for αT; 34.8±14.4 vs. 19.3±13.9% for COMP αT, P<0.05). There was a positive correlation between urinary 1-OHP and αT, COMP αT, and abnormal sperm morphology and a tenfold increase in urinary 1-OHP associated with a 2.35-fold increase in αT, as well as a 1.07-fold increase in percentage of sperm with abnormal morphology. Conclusions: A potential risk of sperm dysfunction should be considered for workers occupationally exposed to high levels of PAHs. Cigarette smoking may aggravate this risk. Urinary 1-OHP can be used as a biomarker predicting sperm dysfunction

Are vitamin and mineral deficiencies a major cancer risk?

Diet is estimated to contribute to about one-third of preventable cancers -- about the same amount as smoking. Inadequate intake of essential vitamins and minerals might explain the epidemiological findings that people who eat only small amounts of fruits and vegetables have an increased risk of developing cancer. Recent experimental evidence indicates that vitamin and mineral deficiencies can lead to DNA damage. Optimizing vitamin and mineral intake by encouraging dietary change, multivitamin and mineral supplements, and fortifying foods might therefore prevent cancer and other chronic diseases