The browser you are using is not supported by this website. All versions of Internet Explorer are no longer supported, either by us or Microsoft (read more here: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/windows/end-of-ie-support).

Please use a modern browser to fully experience our website, such as the newest versions of Edge, Chrome, Firefox or Safari etc.

Exposure to persistent organic pollutants and sperm DNA methylation changes in Arctic and European populations.

På svenska

Author

  • Claudia Consales
  • Gunnar Toft
  • Giorgio Leter
  • Jens Peter E Bonde
  • Raffaella Uccelli
  • Francesca Pacchierotti
  • Patrizia Eleuteri
  • Bo A Jönsson
  • Aleksander Giwercman
  • Henning S Pedersen
  • Paweł Stuciński
  • Katarzyna Góralczyk
  • Valentyna Zviezdai
  • Marcello Spanò
Show all

Summary, in English

Persistent organic pollutants (POPs), such as PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) and DDT [1,1,1-trichloro-2,2-bis(4-chlorophenyl)ethane], are environmental contaminants with potential endocrine disrupting activity. DNA methylation levels in peripheral blood lymphocytes have been associated with serum concentrations of POPs in Greenland Inuit and Korean populations. Greenland Inuits are characterized by the highest worldwide POP levels. In this cross-sectional study we evaluated the relationship between serum POP concentrations and DNA methylation levels in sperm of non-occupationally exposed fertile men from Greenland, Warsaw (Poland), and Kharkiv (Ukraine). Serum levels of PCB-153 [1,2,4-trichloro-5-(2,4,5-trichlorophenyl)benzene], as a proxy of the total PCBs body burden, and of p,p'-DDE [1,1-dichloro-2,2-bis(4-chlorophenyl)ethylene], the main metabolite of DDT were measured. Sperm DNA methylation level was assessed globally by flow cytometric (FCM) immunodetection of 5-methyl-cytosines and at specific repetitive DNA sequences (Alu, LINE-1, Satα) by PCR-pyrosequencing after bisulfite conversion. Multivariate linear regression analysis was applied to investigate correlations between serum POP concentrations and DNA methylation. No consistent associations between exposure to POPs and sperm DNA methylation at repetitive DNA sequences were detected. A statistically significant global decrease in methylation was associated with exposure to either POP by FCM analysis. This is the first study to investigate environmental exposure to POPs and DNA methylation levels considering sperm as the target cells. Although POP exposure appears to have a limited negative impact on sperm DNA methylation levels in adult males, the global hypomethylation detected by one of the methods applied suggests that further investigation is warranted. Environ. Mol. Mutagen., 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Publishing year

2016-01-23

Language

English

Pages

200-209

Publication/Series

Environmental and Molecular Mutagenesis

Volume

57

Issue

3

Document type

Journal article

Publisher

John Wiley & Sons Inc.

Topic

  • Environmental Health and Occupational Health

Status

Published

Research group

  • Reproductive medicine, Malmö

ISBN/ISSN/Other

  • ISSN: 1098-2280