Korean J Occup Environ Med.
2000 Jun;12(2):179-186.
Sex hormones among Workers Exposed to Pesticides
- Affiliations
-
- 1Department of Preventive Medicine, Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Korea. wonjin.lee@kku.ac.kr
- 2Department of Clinical Pathology, College of Medicine, Konkuk University, Korea.
- 3Department of Occupational Medicine, College of Medicine, Soonchunhyang University, Korea.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE
This study was carried out to determine the effects of occupational pesticides exposure on the level of serum Luteinizing Hormone(LH), Follicle Stimulating Hormone(FSH), testosterone in male workers.
METHODS
Twenty-two male workers exposed to pesticides were compared with twenty-eight male workers at same factory who were not exposed to pesticides. The selected variables for studying reproductive hormones were LH, FSH and testosterone. As part of the baseline health status, subjects were asked medical history.
RESULTS
There were no statistically significant differences on the level of LH, FSH, testosterone between the exposed and non-exposed group. Also the level of sex hormones were not significant difference with each department in exposed group. And the level of LH, FSH positively correlated with age.
CONCLUSIONS
These results indicate that there are no alterations in LH, FSH, testosterone at workers exposed to pesticides. But our findings are highly preliminary because of a small sample size. Thus it calls for furthur investigation of the hormonal effects at workers exposed to pesticides.
Keyword
- FSH; LH; Testosterone; Pesticide; Worker
