Stella Moreno-Grau

Food intake and its relationship with semen quality: a case-control study

OBJECTIVE To compare dietary habits in normospermic and oligoasthenoteratospermic patients attending a reproductive assisted clinic. DESIGN An observational, analytical case-control study. SETTING Private fertility clinics. PATIENT(S) Thirty men with poor semen quality (cases) and 31 normospermic control couples attending our fertility clinics. INTERVENTION(S) We recorded dietary habits and food consumption using a food frequency questionnaire adapted to meet specific study objectives. Analysis of semen parameters, hormone levels, Y microdeletions, and karyotypes were also carried out. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S) Frequency of intake food items were registered in a scale with nine categories ranging from no consumption to repeated daily consumption. RESULT(S) Controls had a higher intake of skimmed milk, shellfish, tomatoes, and lettuce, and cases consumed more yogurt, meat products, and potatoes. In the logistic regression model cases had lower intake of lettuce and tomatoes, fruits (apricots and peaches), and significantly higher intake of dairy and meat processed products. CONCLUSION(S) Frequent intake of lipophilic foods like meat products or milk may negatively affect semen quality in humans, whereas some fruits or vegetables may maintain or improve semen quality.

A low intake of antioxidant nutrients is associated with poor semen quality in patients attending fertility clinics

OBJECTIVE To compare specific nutrient intake between normospermic and oligoasthenoteratospermic patients attending infertility clinics in two Mediterranean provinces of Spain. DESIGN Case-control study. SETTING Private fertility clinics in southeastern Spain. PATIENT(S) Thirty men with poor semen quality (case subjects) and 31 normospermic control subjects of couples attending our fertility clinics. INTERVENTION(S) We recorded dietary habits and nutrient consumption using a food frequency questionnaire adapted to meet specific study objectives. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S) We calculated nutrient intakes by multiplying the frequency of use for each food by the nutrient composition of the portion size specified on the food frequency questionnaire and by addition across all foods to obtain a total nutrient intake for each individual. Semen quality was assessed by measuring volume, concentration, motility, and morphology. Hormones levels were also analyzed in case and control subjects. RESULT(S) In the logistic regression, control subjects had a significantly higher intake of carbohydrates, fiber, folate, vitamin C, and lycopene and lower intakes of proteins and total fat. CONCLUSION(S) A low intake of antioxidant nutrients was associated with a poor semen quality in this case-control study of Spanish men attending infertility clinics.

Relationships between heavy metal concentrations in three different body fluids and male reproductive parameters: a pilot study

BackgroundAnimal studies have shown the reproductive toxicity of a number of heavy metals. Very few human observational studies have analyzed the relationship between male reproductive function and heavy metal concentrations in diverse biological fluids.MethodsThe current study assessed the associations between seminal and hormonal parameters and the concentration of the 3 most frequent heavy metal toxicants (lead, cadmium and mercury) in three different body fluids. Sixty one men attending infertility clinics that participated in a case-control study to explore the role of environmental toxins and lifestyles on male infertility were analyzed. Concentration of lead, cadmium and mercury were measured in blood and seminal plasma and whole blood using anodic stripping voltammetry and atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Serum samples were analyzed for follicle-stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone and testosterone. Semen analyses were performed according to World Health Organization criteria. Mann-Whitney test and Spearmans rank correlations were used for unadjusted analyses. Multiple linear regression models were performed controlling for age, body mass index and number of cigarettes per day.ResultsThere were no significant differences between cases and controls in the concentrations of heavy metals in any of the three body fluids. In multivariate analyses using all subjects no significant associations were found between serum hormone levels and metal concentrations. However there was a significant positive association between the percentage of immotile sperms and seminal plasma levels of lead and cadmium.ConclusionsOur results suggest that the presence of lead and cadmium in the reproductive tract of men may be related to a moderate alteration of their seminal parameters.

Effects of air pollution on Cup a 3 allergen in Cupressus arizonica pollen grains

BACKGROUND Cupressaceae is a family of plants resistant to airborne contamination, and its pollen is the main cause of winter allergic respiratory diseases, especially in North America, Japan, and Mediterranean countries. Recently, a major allergen from Cupressus arizonica pollen grains, Cup a 3, was cloned and expressed. OBJECTIVE To study the effects of air pollution on the expression of Cup a 3, a thaumatinlike protein, in C. arizonica pollen grains using a combination of transmission electron microscopy and immunocytochemical techniques. METHODS Observations were made in mature and hydrated C. arizonica pollen grains from various regions in Spain with different degrees of air pollution. Specimens were fixed using freezing protocols, and ultrathin sections were incubated with anti-rCup a 3 rabbit polyclonal antibodies. RESULTS Labeling of Cup a 3 was detected in mature and hydrated C. arizonica pollen grains. It was more intense in pollen from polluted air regions, and abundant gold particles were observed as they were released through the pollen grain walls. Furthermore, gold particles remained abundant in the pollen cytoplasm. The labeling was noticeably lower in pollen grains from unpolluted air regions. CONCLUSIONS Cup a 3 is present in the cytoplasm and walls of cypress pollen grains during the air dispersion and hydration stages. The abundance of Cup a 3 in pollen grains under polluted air conditions indicates that these cypresses intensify their activity as a defense from environmental pollution, thus strengthening their allergenicity.

Correlation between Olea europaea and Parietaria judaica pollen counts and quantification of their major allergens Ole e 1 and Par j 1-Par j 2

BACKGROUND In patients with pollinosis, allergic symptoms are often correlated with the number of airborne pollen grains, although this correlation is not always close. The direct measurement of the concentration of aeroallergens has only recently been introduced and is an important advance in public health information systems. OBJECTIVE To compare specific quantification of aeroallergens Ole e 1 and Par j 1-Par j 2 Olea and Urticaceae pollen counts. METHODS The Hirst method sampler and the Burkard Cyclone sampler were used for pollen count and allergen quantification, respectively. The aerosol was extracted and quantified for Ole e 1 and Par j 1-Par j 2 content using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay procedures. RESULTS Day-to-day variations were observed in both the pollen count and the amount of allergens. Pollen counts and aeroallergen quantification were closely correlated with 99% significance (Olea/Ole e 1: R = 0.892, P < .001; Urticaceae/Par j 1-Par j 2: R = 0.734, P < .001). CONCLUSION The technique for the sampling and quantification of aeroallergens presented in this article, based on enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and applied to the protein extracts directly obtained from the bioaerosol, represents an important advance in the epidemiologic study of allergic respiratory diseases.

Particulate matter and heavy metals in the atmospheric aerosol from Cartagena, Spain

Total suspended particulate matter (TSP) and lead (Pb) concentrations were monitored at three sampling stations in Cartagena, Spain, from February 1990 to December 1998, and copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), and cadmium (Cd) atmospheric concentrations were measured from January 1991 to December 1998. TSP and Pb values were analysed from samples collected on glassfibre filters, and the concentrations of Pb, Cu, Zn, and Cd were calculated from cellulose ester filters, showing no statistically significant difference (95% C.L.) for Pb analysed in both filter types. The geographical and temporal distribution patterns were investigated. There was a trend to find the highest TSP levels during winter and autumn, and the highest Pb concentrations during the winter season. The Pb/Cd average ratios for each sampling point showed a direct anthropogenic contribution for the industrial areas, when compared with Pb/Cd ratio reported for global natural emissions. The correlation among heavy metals displayed similar results, differing from the residential area to the urban and industrial ones.

Exposure to environmental toxins in males seeking infertility treatment: a case-controlled study

This case-control study explored the role of environmental toxins in male infertility in patients attending an assisted reproduction clinic in southeastern Spain. Exposures were compared by questionnaire for 30 infertile oligoasthenoteratozoospermic males (cases) and 31 normozoospermic controls residing in the area. Odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were used to estimate differences in lifestyle and chemical occupational exposures. More than two-thirds of the cases (23/30), compared with less than one-third of controls (10/31), had been exposed occupationally to at least one toxin or pollutant (OR = 6.9; 95% CI: 2.2-21.4) and were also more exposed to them currently (OR = 5.2; 95% CI: 1.6-17.2). Exposure to glues, solvents or silicones (OR = 22.9; 95% CI: 2.8-190.9), metals (OR = 8.8; 95% CI: 1.4-54.2) and physical agents (OR = 7.3; 95% CI: 1.4-36.7) in the past, as well as current exposure to glues, solvents or silicones (OR = 10.4; 95% CI: 2.6-42.5) and physical agents (OR = 4.7; 95% CI: 1.1-19.2), were significantly higher in cases than in controls. Average duration of exposure was also significantly higher in cases (P < 0.001). This study suggests that male infertility in patients attending infertility clinics may often be the result of occupational exposure.

A mathematical model for waste water stabilization ponds with macrophytes and microphytes

This paper presents a model for natural systems used in urban waste water treatment. The model includes thermal and biochemical submodels, derived from the physical and biochemical phenomena involved in the treatment process. The thermal submodel is based on a heat balance for the system and the numerical solution of the resulting differential equation. The biochemical submodel is based on the mass balances for the different variables, considering a one-dimensional flow within the ponds, which give rise to a system of linear equations subsequently solved by numerical methods. The model has been calibrated using experimental data from existing waste water treatment systems using both microphytes and macrophytes. The model may be applied to the design of new facilities and to improve operating conditions of existing facilities.

Relationships between Levels of Lead, Cadmium, Zinc, and Copper in Soil and Settleable Particulate Matter in Cartagena (Spain)

In this article we report the relationships between heavy metals(Pb, Cd, Zn, Cu) in soil and settleable particulate matter usingdata from 6 yr at six different sampling points withinCartagena, a Spanish Mediterranean city. The use of enrichmentfactors and factor analysis allowed us to predict the majorsources of these metals. Soils were classified as one of threetypes: soils from polluted zone L, soils from polluted zone Z,and non-polluted soils. Settleable particulate matter was alsoclassified in the following three groups: Industrial zone, Urbanzone, and Intermediate zone. Enrichment factors showed that soilsfrom polluted zone L are enriched in Pb and Cd when compared with soils from polluted zone Z, and soils from polluted zone Zare enriched in Zn and Cu when compared with soils from pollutedzone L. In this context, soils from polluted zones L and Z areidentified as specific sources of metals in the settleableparticulate matter samples. We also suggest the importance ofanthopogenic contribution of metals to soil-enrichment fromancient times up to the present. This process was most severeduring the XIX century, when our city suffered an importantindustrial development. The concentration of these heavy metalsare also affected by regional meteorological conditions, whichinclude scarce rainfalls and a significant wind dispersion ofsoil aerosols.

DISTRIBUTION OF THE METALS LEAD, CADMIUM, COPPER, AND ZINC IN THE TOP SOIL OF CARTAGENA, SPAIN

This article presents the results of the analysis of the metals lead, cadmium, copper, zinc and aluminum, conducted on a total of 112 soil samples arising from 57 sampling points, distributedthroughout the Cartagena area in southeastern Spain. Both, totalmetal content and soluble fraction (1 M nitric acid medium, exchangeable fraction) were analyzed. Soil samples were taken on the surface of the terrain and at a depth of 35 cm from eachsampling point. For the purposes of this study, sampling points were classified in three groups based on the results of previous research on air pollution in the region: clean areas,contaminated areas and vacant industrial areas. The statisticalanalyses of the results show no significant differences betweenthe surface samples and the 35 cm deep samples from all three areas. Lead, zinc and copper (soluble and total fractions) aresignificantly higher, and pH significantly lower, in the samples coming from the contaminated and vacant industrial areasthan in samples coming from the clean area. Total lead and cadmium are significantly higher in the vacant industrial areas(150 g kg-1 Pb and 9.3 g kg-1 Cd) than in the contaminated areas (5.2 g kg-1 Pb and 2.1 g kg-1 Cd).Iso-concentration maps have been prepared in order to correlatethe presence of metals with the industrial and mining activities in the region under study. These maps show a clear relationship between human activities and metal concentrationgradients, with peaks corresponding to both active and abandoned industrial and mining facilities.