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Dermitzakis I, Theotokis P, Axarloglou E, Delilampou E, Manthou ME, Meditskou S. Effects of hazardous chemicals on secondary sex ratio: A comprehensive review. CHEMOSPHERE 2024; 361:142467. [PMID: 38810798 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2024.142467] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2024] [Revised: 04/15/2024] [Accepted: 05/26/2024] [Indexed: 05/31/2024]
Abstract
The secondary sex ratio (SSR), defined as the ratio of male to female offspring at birth, has garnered significant scientific interest due to its potential impact on population dynamics and evolution. In recent years, there has been a growing concern regarding the potential consequences of environmental chemicals on the SSR, given their widespread exposure and potential enduring ramifications on the reproductive system. While SSR serves as an indicator of health, ongoing research and scientific inquiry are being conducted to explore the potential relationship between chemicals and offspring ratio. Although some studies have suggested a possible correlation, others have yielded inconclusive results, indicating that the topic is intricate and still needs to be elucidated. The precise mechanism by which chemical agents exert their influence on the SSR remains ambiguous, with disruption of the endocrine system being a prominent justification. In light of the complex interplay between chemical exposure and SSR, the present review aims to comprehensively examine and synthesize existing scientific literature to gain a deeper understanding of how specific chemical exposures may impact SSR. Insights into chemical hazards that shift SSR patterns or trends could guide prevention strategies, including legislative bans of certain chemicals, to minimize environmental and public health risks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iasonas Dermitzakis
- Department of Histology-Embryology, School of Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Paschalis Theotokis
- Department of Histology-Embryology, School of Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Evangelos Axarloglou
- Department of Histology-Embryology, School of Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Efthymia Delilampou
- Department of Histology-Embryology, School of Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Maria Eleni Manthou
- Department of Histology-Embryology, School of Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Soultana Meditskou
- Department of Histology-Embryology, School of Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124, Thessaloniki, Greece.
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Tatsuta N, Nakai K, Nakayama SF, Takeuchi A, Arima T, Yaegashi N, Kamijima M, Yamazaki S, Ohya Y, Kishi R, Hashimoto K, Mori C, Ito S, Yamagata Z, Inadera H, Nakayama T, Iso H, Shima M, Kurozawa Y, Suganuma N, Kusuhara K, Katoh T. Effects of maternal exposure to lead on secondary sex ratio in Japan: The Japan Environment and Children's Study. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 817:152726. [PMID: 34995582 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.152726] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2021] [Revised: 12/01/2021] [Accepted: 12/23/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
A decline in the proportion of male births (secondary sex ratio, SSR) has been seen in several countries including Japan in recent years. Although previous studies have reported that the SSR is affected by exposure to chemical substances such as dioxins and polychlorinated biphenyls, as well as heavy metals such as methylmercury, the effects of lead exposure on the SSR have been little studied. The aim of this study was to determine the association between maternal lead exposure and SSR. In a large-scale nationwide birth cohort study, maternal blood lead level (BLL) was determined using whole blood from the second or third trimester of pregnancy. The association between SSR and maternal BLL was estimated using multivariable logistic models. Binomial distribution was applied to examine the differences in SSR by dividing the participants into five groups based on BLL. The primary outcome was SSR, and the child sex was obtained from the medical record transcripts. Of 104,062 fetal records, 85,171 were examined for analysis. The median maternal BLL was 5.85 ng/g (5th-95th percentile 3.45-10.6 ng/g). The overall proportion of males among participating infants was 0.512. In logistic regression models adjusted for covariates, the analysis revealed an increased odds ratio for SSR with higher blood lead concentrations [Group 2: adjusted OR 1.082, 95% confidence interval 1.037 to 1.129, Group 3: 1.122, 1.074 to 1.171, Group 4: 1.214, 1.163 to 1.268, Group 5: 1.279, 1.224 to 1.336]. Compared to the general birth probability in Japan, the group with low BLL had a lower SSR and the group with high BLL had a higher SSR. Higher maternal lead exposures during pregnancy were associated with increased SSR. Further investigations including assessment of paternal lead exposure are necessary to understand the association between lead exposure and SSR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nozomi Tatsuta
- Development and Environmental Medicine, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai 980-8575, Japan
| | - Kunihiko Nakai
- Development and Environmental Medicine, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai 980-8575, Japan.
| | - Shoji F Nakayama
- Health and Environmental Risk Division, National Institute for Environmental Studies, Tsukuba 305-8506, Japan
| | - Ayano Takeuchi
- Health and Environmental Risk Division, National Institute for Environmental Studies, Tsukuba 305-8506, Japan
| | - Takahiro Arima
- Development and Environmental Medicine, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai 980-8575, Japan
| | - Nobuo Yaegashi
- Development and Environmental Medicine, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai 980-8575, Japan
| | - Michihiro Kamijima
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, Nagoya City University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Nagoya 467-8601, Japan.
| | - Shin Yamazaki
- National Institute for Environmental Studies, Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Yukihiro Ohya
- National Center for Child Health and Development, Tokyo, Japan
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Koichi Kusuhara
- University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Kitakyushu, Japan
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Abstract
A biased sex ratio at birth in human populations has been associated with numerous economic, psychosocial, environmental and demographic factors, and has been declining in most developed countries. One of the most often invoked explanation for this decline has been the growing environmental and occupational exposure to man-made chemicals that affect the reproductive physiology, putatively leading to altered sex ratios at birth. In this paper the current state of knowledge on the association between toxins and sex ratio at birth is presented and critically assessed. The evidence for the effect of toxins on sex ratio at birth is conflicting, with paternal exposure showing more promising results than maternal exposure. The obstacles in establishing more direct relation between toxins and sex ratio at birth involve different hormonal responses of mothers and fathers under the influence of toxins, the specific metabolic action of toxins, and the constraints of observational studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dario Pavic
- Division of Sociology, Department for Croatian Studies, University of Zagreb, Croatia.
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Jurewicz J, Radwan M, Sobala W, Radwan P, Jakubowski L, Wielgomas B, Ligocka D, Brzeźnicki S, Hanke W. Exposure to widespread environmental endocrine disrupting chemicals and human sperm sex ratio. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2016; 213:732-740. [PMID: 27031570 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2016.02.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2015] [Revised: 02/02/2016] [Accepted: 02/02/2016] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
In recent years, a trend toward a declining proportion of male births has been noted in several, but not all, industrialized countries. The underlying reason for the drop in the sex ratio is unclear, but one theory states that widespread environmental endocrine disrupting chemicals affecting the male reproductive system in a negative manner could be part of the explanation. The present study was designed to investigate whether the urinary phthalate, pyrethroids and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons metabolites concentrations were associated with sperm Y:X ratio. The study population consisted of 194 men aged under 45 years of age who attended infertility clinic in Lodz, Poland for diagnostic purposes with normal semen concentration of 20-300 mln/ml or with slight oligozoospermia (semen concentration of 15-20 mln/ml) (WHO, 1999). The Y:X ratio was assessed by fluorescent in situ hybridization. Urinary concentrations of 1-hydroxypyrene were measured by high performance liquid chromatography, phthalate metabolites were analyzed using a procedure based on the LC-MS/MS methods and metabolites of synthetic pyrethroids were assessed by gas chromatography ion-tap mass spectrometry method. After adjustment for potential confounders (past diseases, age, abstinence, smoking, alcohol consumption, sperm concentration, motility, morphology) 5OH MEHP, CDCCA to TDCCA and 1-OHP was negatively related to Y:X sperm chromosome ratio (p = 0.033, p < 0.001, p = 0.047 respectively). As this is the first study to elucidate the association between the level of metabolites of widespread environmental endocrine disrupting chemicals (phthalates, synthetic pyrethroids, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) on sex chromosome ratio in sperm therefore, these findings require further replication in other populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanna Jurewicz
- Department of Environmental Epidemiology, Nofer Institute of Occupational Medicine, 8 Teresy St, 91-362, Lodz, Poland.
| | - Michał Radwan
- Department of Gynecology and Reproduction, "Gameta" Hospital, 34/36 Rudzka St, 95-030, Rzgów, Poland
| | - Wojciech Sobala
- Department of Environmental Epidemiology, Nofer Institute of Occupational Medicine, 8 Teresy St, 91-362, Lodz, Poland
| | - Paweł Radwan
- Department of Gynecology and Reproduction, "Gameta" Hospital, 34/36 Rudzka St, 95-030, Rzgów, Poland
| | - Lucjusz Jakubowski
- Department of Medical Genetics, Polish Mother's Memorial Hospital - Research Institute, 281/289 Rzgowska St, Lodz, Poland
| | - Bartosz Wielgomas
- Department of Toxicology, Medical University of Gdańsk, 107 Hallera St, Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Danuta Ligocka
- Bureau of Quality Assurance, Nofer Institute of Occupational Medicine, 8 Teresy Street, 91-348, Lodz, Poland
| | - Sławomir Brzeźnicki
- Department of Biological and Environmental Monitoring, Nofer Institute of Occupational Medicine, 8 Teresy Street, 91-348, Lodz, Poland
| | - Wojciech Hanke
- Department of Environmental Epidemiology, Nofer Institute of Occupational Medicine, 8 Teresy St, 91-362, Lodz, Poland
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McDonald E, Watterson A, Tyler AN, McArthur J, Scott EM. Multi-factorial influences on sex ratio: a spatio-temporal investigation of endocrine disruptor pollution and neighborhood stress. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF OCCUPATIONAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH 2014; 20:235-46. [PMID: 25000111 PMCID: PMC4070448 DOI: 10.1179/2049396714y.0000000073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Abstract
Background: It is suggested the declining male birth proportion in some industrialized countries is linked to ubiquitous endocrine disruptor exposure. Stress and advanced parental age are determinants which frequently present positive findings. Multi-factorial influences on population sex ratio are rarely explored or tested in research. Objectives: To test the hypothesis that dual factors of pollution and population stress affects sex proportion at birth through geographical analysis of Central Scotland. Methods: The study incorporates the use of Geographical Information Systems (GIS) tools to overlay modeled point source endocrine disruptor air emissions with “small-area” data on multiple deprivation (a proxy measurement of stress) and birth sex. Historical review of regional sex ratio trends presents additional data on sex ratio in Scotland to consider. Results: There was no overall concentration in Central Scotland of low sex ratio neighborhoods with areas where endocrine disruptor air pollution and deprivation or economic stress were high. Historical regional trends in Scotland (from 1973), however, do show significantly lower sex ratio values for populations where industrial air pollution is highest (i.e. Eastern Central Scotland). Conclusions: Use of small area data sets and pollution inventories is a potential new method of inquiry for reproductive environmental and health protection monitoring and has produced interesting findings.
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Taylor CM, Golding J, Emond AM. Girl or boy? Prenatal lead, cadmium and mercury exposure and the secondary sex ratio in the ALSPAC study. Reprod Toxicol 2014; 46:137-40. [PMID: 24703858 PMCID: PMC4077241 DOI: 10.1016/j.reprotox.2014.03.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2013] [Revised: 02/07/2014] [Accepted: 03/21/2014] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of prenatal exposure to lead, cadmium and mercury levels on the secondary sex ratio. Whole blood samples were collected from pregnant women enrolled in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) study at a median gestational age of 11 weeks and were analyzed for lead, cadmium and mercury. Regression analysis was used to identify associations between maternal lead, cadmium and mercury levels and the secondary sex ratio with adjustment for confounders. There was no evidence for associations between maternal lead, cadmium or mercury levels and the secondary sex ratio in this sample. It appears unlikely that alterations in the secondary sex ratio are influenced by exposure to heavy metals, but further work should be done in large cohorts in other countries to confirm these findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- C M Taylor
- Centre for Child and Adolescent Health, School of Social and Community Medicine, University of Bristol, UK.
| | - J Golding
- Centre for Child and Adolescent Health, School of Social and Community Medicine, University of Bristol, UK
| | - A M Emond
- Centre for Child and Adolescent Health, School of Social and Community Medicine, University of Bristol, UK
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Terrell ML, Hartnett KP, Marcus M. Can environmental or occupational hazards alter the sex ratio at birth? A systematic review. EMERGING HEALTH THREATS JOURNAL 2011; 4:7109. [PMID: 24149027 PMCID: PMC3168220 DOI: 10.3402/ehtj.v4i0.7109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2010] [Revised: 11/08/2010] [Accepted: 01/24/2011] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
More than 100 studies have examined whether environmental or occupational exposures of parents affect the sex ratio of their offspring at birth. For this review, we searched Medline and Web of Science using the terms ‘sex ratio at birth’ and ‘sex ratio and exposure’ for all dates, and reviewed bibliographies of relevant studies to find additional articles. This review focuses on exposures that have been the subject of at least four studies including polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), dioxins, pesticides, lead and other metals, radiation, boron, and g-forces. For paternal exposures, only dioxins and PCBs were consistently associated with sex ratios higher or lower than the expected 1.06. Dioxins were associated with a decreased proportion of male births, whereas PCBs were associated with an increased proportion of male births. There was limited evidence for a decrease in the proportion of male births after paternal exposure to DBCP, lead, methylmercury, non-ionizing radiation, ionizing radiation treatment for childhood cancer, boron, or g-forces. Few studies have found higher or lower sex ratios associated with maternal exposures. Studies in humans and animals have found a reduction in the number of male births associated with lower male fertility, but the mechanism by which environmental hazards might change the sex ratio has not yet been established.
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Affiliation(s)
- Metrecia L Terrell
- Department of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
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Navara KJ. Programming of offspring sex ratios by maternal stress in humans: assessment of physiological mechanisms using a comparative approach. J Comp Physiol B 2010; 180:785-96. [PMID: 20544204 DOI: 10.1007/s00360-010-0483-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2009] [Revised: 05/18/2010] [Accepted: 05/20/2010] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Sex ratio adjustment has become a hot topic in ecology and evolutionary biology, as documentations of sex ratio skews are numerous, and include examples in diverse animal species. Over the past several decades, scientists have repeatedly debated whether human sex ratios also significantly deviate toward one sex or the other based on environmental or social conditions. An increasing number of studies supports the idea that exposure to stressful conditions can influence the sexes of offspring produced by humans, a majority of which document significantly fewer males after exposure to adverse conditions such as severe life events, economic disruption, or natural disasters. From a comparative standpoint, these findings are similar to studies in non-human mammals and other vertebrate species showing a bias toward females during times of stress. However, the mechanisms by which stress-related biases in the offspring sex ratio may occur remain elusive, and the involvement of glucocorticoids indicating a true influence of stress itself remains unstudied. Here, I review the evidence that stressful events induce sex ratio adjustment in humans. Additionally, I discuss the possibility for glucocorticoid mediation of sex ratio adjustment and the potential reproductive stages during which stress-induced sex ratio adjustment may occur in humans and other mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristen J Navara
- Department of Poultry Science, The University of Georgia, 203 Poultry Science Building, 110 Cedar Street, Athens, GA 30605, USA.
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Wise LA, Palmer JR, Hatch EE, Troisi R, Titus-Ernstoff L, Herbst AL, Kaufman R, Noller KL, Hoover RN. Secondary sex ratio among women exposed to diethylstilbestrol in utero. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 2007; 115:1314-9. [PMID: 17805421 PMCID: PMC1964903 DOI: 10.1289/ehp.10246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2007] [Accepted: 06/28/2007] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Diethylstilbestrol (DES), a synthetic estrogen widely prescribed to pregnant women during the mid-1900s, is a potent endocrine disruptor. Previous studies have suggested an association between endocrine-disrupting compounds and secondary sex ratio. METHODS Data were provided by women participating in the National Cancer Institute (NCI) DES Combined Cohort Study. We used generalized estimating equations to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the relation of in utero DES exposure to sex ratio (proportion of male births). Models were adjusted for maternal age, child's birth year, parity, and cohort, and accounted for clustering among women with multiple pregnancies. RESULTS The OR for having a male birth comparing DES-exposed to unexposed women was 1.05 (95% CI, 0.95-1.17). For exposed women with complete data on cumulative DES dose and timing (33%), those first exposed to DES earlier in gestation and to higher doses had the highest odds of having a male birth. The ORs were 0.91 (95% C, 0.65-1.27) for first exposure at > or = 13 weeks gestation to < 5 g DES; 0.95 (95% CI, 0.71-1.27) for first exposure at > or = 13 weeks to > or = 5 g; 1.16 (95% CI, 0.96-1.41) for first exposure at < 13 weeks to < 5 g; and 1.24 (95% CI, 1.04-1.48) for first exposure at < 13 weeks to > or = 5 g compared with no exposure. Results did not vary appreciably by maternal age, parity, cohort, or infertility history. CONCLUSIONS Overall, no association was observed between in utero DES exposure and secondary sex ratio, but a significant increase in the proportion of male births was found among women first exposed to DES earlier in gestation and to a higher cumulative dose.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren A Wise
- Slone Epidemiology Center, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, USA.
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