Spermatogenic capacity in fertile men with elevated exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls.

BACKGROUND: Endocrine disrupting industrial chemicals, such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), are suspected to adversely affect male reproductive functions. OBJECTIVES: The Faroe Islands community exhibits an unusually wide range of exposures to dietary contaminants, and in this setting we examined the possible association between PCB exposure and semen quality and reproductive hormones in fertile Faroese men. METHODS: Participants in this cross-sectional study include 266 proven fertile men residing in the Faroe Islands. PCB levels and hormone profiles were measured in serum samples taken at the clinical examination that included semen quality parameters. RESULTS: A significant positive association was seen between serum-PCB and the testosterone/estradiol ratio (p=0.04). In the unadjusted analyses, elevated PCB exposure was associated with increased serum concentrations of SHBG (p=0.01) and FSH (p=0.05). We found no association between the serum PCB concentration and the semen quality variables. CONCLUSION: In this population of highly exposed fertile men, the current serum-PCB concentration was associated with higher androgen/estrogen ratio. Further studies are needed to establish the findings and further document PCB-associated hormonal effects, any time windows of increased susceptibility, and the role of PCB in sub-fecundity.

Exposure to persistent organic pollutants and sperm sex chromosome ratio in men from the Faroe Islands.

People in the Arctic as well as fishermen on the polluted Swedish east coast are highly exposed to persistent organic pollutants (POPs). These compounds have been shown to affect the sperm Y:X chromosome ratio. In present study, the aim was to investigate whether polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) congeners and 1,1,-dichloro-2,2,-bis(p-chlorophenyl)ethane (p,p'-DDE) influence sperm sex chromosome ratio in Faroese men, and whether these men differ regarding Y:X ratio compared to Greenland Inuit and Swedish fishermen. The study population (n=449) consisted of young men from the general population (n=276) as well as proven fertile men (n=173). The Y:X ratio was assessed by fluorescent in situ hybridization. Serum concentrations of POPs were measured using gas chromatography. Associations between POP concentrations and Y:X ratio were calculated using linear and non-linear regression models as well as trend analysis and pairwise comparison of exposure data categorized into quartiles. The selected POPs were associated with Y:X ratio in fertile Faroese men, but not in the total population; p,p'-DDE (95% CI for B=-0.005 to -0.001, p=0.005) and ΣPCB (95% CI for B=-0.005 to -0.001, p=0.012). Since p,p'-DDE and ΣPCB correlated significantly (r=0.927, p<0.001), the results involving the exposure variables can be regarded as a single finding. The Y:X ratio for the total Faroese population was 0.500±0.018, which was statistically significantly lower than in both Inuit and Swedish fishermen (0.512 for both). In conclusion, Faroese men presented with lower Y:X ratio than Greenland Inuit and Swedish fishermen. Although no direct health effects are expected due to the lower Faroese Y:X ratio, it could be indicative of adverse effects on the reproductive system.

Dietitians view the horizon.

In honor of the American Dietetic Association's landmark 75th anniversary, FM asked ADA members representing six market sectors to share their perspectives on the opportunities & challenges for dietitians in the '90s. An exciting era lies ahead.

Identification and characterization of lipopolysaccharide-binding proteins on human peripheral blood cell populations.

Previous research in this laboratory, using photoactivatable radioiodinated lipopolysaccharide derivatized with sulfosuccinimidyl-2-(p-azidosalicylamide)-1,3'-dithiopropionate (125I-ASD-LPS), has resulted in the identification of a specific LPS receptor with a molecular mass of approximately 73 kDa on murine lymphocytes and splenic macrophages. The experiments presented in this report investigated whether a similar LPS-binding protein was also expressed on human peripheral blood populations, including monocytes, lymphocytes, neutrophils, platelets, and erythrocytes. Each cell population was incubated with 125I-ASD-LPS, UV irradiated, washed, reduced, and solubilized, and the cell lysates were analyzed by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis followed by autoradiography. On all of the cell populations, except erythrocytes, a similar 73-kDa LPS-binding protein was present. In addition, each population also expressed lower-molecular-weight secondary LPS-binding proteins, some of which were conserved among the populations. Binding of the photoactivatable LPS probe was found to be both time and temperature dependent. These data support the concept that the 73-kDa LPS-binding protein is conserved on multiple cell types from a variety of species.

Plate waste in a hospital cook-freeze production system.

This survey of food waste in a Midwestern university hospital provides resource data for evaluation of a cook-freeze production system with a restaurant-type menu featuring pre-plated combinations of an entrée and/or starch/vegetable. Data were collected over a 4-week period and included one breakfast, lunch, and dinner from each of 20 nursing units for a total of 611 trays. Mean percentage waste of all food served was 21.3%, with little variation between meals or between modified and non-modified diets. Mean waste for pre-plates was 25.5%, with considerable variation in waste of components (entrée, 17.6%; starch, 27.7%; vegetable, 40.7%). Frequency distribution of waste showed that a large proportion of the patients wasted little or no food and only a small proportion wasted most or all of the food served. No significant difference in waste could be attributed to pre-plate combinations.

Chronic pain patients and spouses: marital and sexual adjustment.

Fifty married patients who were referred to a pain-management program and their spouses were interviewed independently concerning marital-sexual adjustment. The effect of pain on frequency and quality of sexual activity, and the effect of sexual activity on pain, showed a consistent trend toward deterioration in sexual activity after the onset of pain complaints in both patient and spouse groups. Ratings of overall sexual adjustments and adjustment in marriage were essentially the same for both groups before the onset of pain; but after pain onset a significantly large number of spouses rated their marriage below average, whereas most patients rated it average or above average. For the pain patient and his or her spouse, it seems very important that open and candid communication exist about the constant problem of adjusting to chronic pain, and the spouse should participate in the treatment program.