Abstract
Background/Aim: The relation between per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and semen quality is evolving, but current epidemiologic results remain equivocal. We examined the associations between PFAS and semen quality among men of reproductive age.Methods: Included were 654 men who came for preconception care in the preconception cohort of the Shanghai Birth Cohort. Seven general semen parameters were assessed, along with the measurement of 31 targeted PFAS and PFOS (Perfluoro-1-octanesulfonate)/ Perfluoro-n-octanoic acid (PFOA) isomers in serum. PFAS were ln-transformed to improve their normality. Box-Cox transformation was used to improve normality of semen indexes. Multiple linear regression and sparse partial least square (SPLS) regression, a multi-pollutant model, were used for association analyses. All analyses were limited to the PFAS detected in > 50% of serum samples.Results:After adjusting for age, body mass index, family annual income, smoking status, alcohol consumption and abstinence time, the SPLS analyses suggested that perfluoro-n-decanoic acid (PFDA), perfluoro-n-undecanoic acid (PFUDA) were consistently inversely associated with semen concentration [beta= -0.07(95% confidence interval: -0.13,-0.01) and-0.07 (-0.14,-0.01) for each standard unit increase in PFDA and PFUDA, respectively], progressive motile rate (-0.61 (-1.02,-0.25) and -0.66 (-1.04,-0.34) for PFDA and PFUDA, respectively) or semen motile index [-0.76 (-1.33,-0.32) for PFUDA]. Consistent inverse associations of perfluoro-n-nonanoic acid (PFNA) with progressive motile rate, average velocity and semen motile index were also observed in SPLS analyses. In addition, perfluoro-n-heptanoic acid (PFHpA) was significantly inversely associated with semen motile rate and progressive motile rate. Other PFAS congeners showed less associations with semen quality. In general, the direction of associations in SPLS analyses was consistent with that in multiple linear regression. Conclusions:Our results suggested that exposure to certain PFAS congeners were inversely associated with general semen quality among men of reproductive age. These associations were robust to the adjustment of multi-collinearity among PFAS congeners.
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