P-7: Comparison between Occupational Exposures of Infertile Men with Idiopathic Azoospermia and Healthy Controls

Background: Although idiopathic azoospermia is a common reason for male infertility, the known etiological factors for this disease are remarkably very little. Recent evidences suggest that some occupational physical and chemical hazards could have negative effects on reproductive function and semen quality parameters of exposed workers. This study conducted to compare demographic characteristics and occupational exposures of idiopathic azoospermic patients with healthy men that have normal semen parameters. Materials and Methods: A total of 241 known cases of idiopathic azoospermia and 250 healthy controls that were normal in semen analysis evaluation were selected via simple randomization from a major infertility clinic in Tehran, Iran. Informed consent document was obtained from all the study participants. Data collection involved face to face interviews with the study participants about their demographic characteristics, job title and tasks and exposure to occupational chemical and physical hazards. Results: There were not statistical significant differences neither in the mean age nor in the mean body mass index (BMI) between the case and control groups (P-values: 0.86 and 0.5, respectively). Also there were not significant differences neither in educational degree nor in the percentage of rural population between the study groups (p values: 0.34 and 0.25, respectively). The assessment of occupational chemical exposures among the study groups revealed that there is significant association between occupational exposure to heavy metals and idiopathic azoospermia risk (odds ratio [OR]: 1.95, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.05-3.64, p=0.03), similarly between exposure to solvents and idiopathic azoospermia risk (OR: 1.94, 95% CI: 1.2-3.16, p=0.008). There was not seen significant difference in exposure to pesticides between groups (p=0.27). Regarding comparisons of occupational exposures to physical hazards, the study results show significant higher exposure to heat among azoospermic patients than the control group (OR: 1.62, 95% CI: 1.13-2.31, p=0.009), but there were not significant differences between groups for exposures to whole body vibration, ionizing and non-ionizing radiations. Conclusion: According the results of this study occupational exposure to heat, solvents and heavy metals could be regarded as risk factors for idiopathic azoospermia. Further research is recommended to evaluate the observed associations in this study.