Anogenital Distance and Perineal Measurements of the Pelvic Organ Prolapse (POP) Quantification System

Anogenital distance (AGD) is a sexually dimorphic attribute, twice longer in males than in females, and a marker of intrauterine hormonal environment. ...

IMIB-Arrixaca

University of Murcia School of Medicine

Biomedical Research Centre Network for Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP)

"Virgen de la Arrixaca", University Clinical Hospital

Illegal migrants in Europe are, generally, only entitled to emergency care and services for children and pregnant women. In 2002 legal changes in Spain made accessible medical cards and free medical care for illegal migrants in similar terms than the legal migrants or the Spanish population. We interviewed 380 migrants to assess whether there were differences on health services utilization by legal status. We did not find differences in the utilization of health services when ill between legal and illegal migrants. However, a significantly lower utilization of health services was associated with less education (RP = 0.4; 95% CI: 0.2-0.9).

Health care provision for illegal migrants: may health policy make a difference?

Is the length of the anogenital distance (AGD), a biomarker of the in-utero prenatal hormonal environment, associated with the presence of endometriomas and deep infiltrating endometriosis (DIE)?

Endometriomas and deep infiltrating endometriosis in adulthood are strongly associated with anogenital distance, a biomarker for prenatal hormonal environment.

Emerging evidence suggests that dietary fats may influence testicular function. However, most of the published literature on this field has used semen quality parameters as the only proxy for testicular function. We examined the association of fat intake with circulating reproductive hormone levels and testicular volume among healthy young Spanish men. This is a cross-sectional study among 209 healthy male volunteers conducted between October 2010 and November 2011 in Murcia Region of Spain. Participants completed questionnaires on lifestyle, diet, and smoking, and each underwent a physical examination, and provided a blood sample. Linear regression was used to examine the association between each fatty acid type and reproductive hormone levels and testicular volumes. Monounsaturated fatty acids intake was inversely associated with serum blood levels of calculated free testosterone, total testosterone, and inhibin B. A positive association was observed between the intake of polyunsaturated fatty acids, particularly of omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids, and luteinizing hormone concentrations. In addition, the intake of trans fatty acids was associated with lower total testosterone and calculated free testosterone concentrations (P trend = 0.01 and 0.02, respectively). The intake of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids was positively related to testicular volume while the intake of omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids and trans fatty acids was inversely related to testicular volume. These data suggest that fat intake, and particularly intake of omega 3, omega 6, and trans fatty acids, may influence testicular function.

Fatty acid intake in relation to reproductive hormones and testicular volume among young healthy men.

The overall purpose of this study is to compare the accuracy of physical examination (PE) versus ultrasonography (US) in people with arteriovenous fistula (AVF).

Performance of physical examination versus ultrasonography to detect stenosis in haemodialysis arteriovenous fistula.

Anogenital distance (AGD), the distance from the centre of the anus to the genitals, is a sexually dimorphic phenotype in mammals. Experimental studies have shown that AGD is a biomarker of prenatal androgen exposure during the masculinisation period of development. The aim of this study is to assess the relationship between anogenital distance (AGD), as an indirect marker of prenatal hormonal environment, and prostate cancer (PCa) severity.

Anogenital Distance, a Biomarker of Prenatal Androgen Exposure Is Associated With Prostate Cancer Severity.

An association between anogenital distance (AGD) and endometriosis has been reported, suggesting that AGD may be a useful clinical tool in endometriosis. The predictive ability of AGD of women in discriminating presence and type of endometriosis was examined. A case-control study was conducted at the University Hospital 'Virgen de la Arrixaca', Murcia, Spain, between 2014 and 2015. A total of 114 participants diagnosed with endometriosis using ultrasound findings and 105 controls were recruited. Two AGD measurements were obtained: one from the anterior clitoral surface to the upper verge of the anus (AGDAC), and another one from the posterior fourchette to the upper verge of the anus (AGDAF). Parametric and non-parametric tests andreceiver operator characterstic analyses were used to determine relationships between AGD and presence of endometriosis and subgroups (ovarian endometriomas or deep infiltrating endometriosis [DIE]). The AGDAF, but not AGDAC, was associated with presence of endometriomas, DIE (P-values, <0.001-0.02), or both. The highest area under curve (0.91; 95% CI 0.84 to 0.97) was obtained for the DIE subgroup with the AGDAF measurement, with a sensitivity and specificity of 84.4% and 91.4%, respectively. AGDAF can therefore efficiently discriminate the presence of DIE and may be a useful clinical tool.

Investigation of anogenital distance as a diagnostic tool in endometriosis.

Is polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) associated with anogenital distance (AGD), a biomarker of fetal androgen exposure, in adult Mediterranean women?

Presence of polycystic ovary syndrome is associated with longer anogenital distance in adult Mediterranean women.

Bisphenol A (BPA) is a pervasive environmental toxicant with known reproductive effects on sperm parameters and hormone levels. Several observational studies have investigated the associations between BPA exposure and male reproductive function, but findings are inconsistent. The objective of this study was to assess the associations between urinary BPA concentrations and semen quality and reproductive hormone levels in a cross-sectional study with 215 healthy young university students (18-23 years old), investigated between 2010 and 2011 in Southern Spain (Murcia Region). All subjects provided urine, blood serum and semen samples on a single day. Urinary BPA concentrations were measured by dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction and ultra-high performance liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry detection. Semen quality was evaluated by measuring volume, concentration, motility, morphology and total sperm count (TSC). Serum samples were analyzed for reproductive hormones, including follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), testosterone, inhibin B and estradiol. Relationships between urinary BPA concentrations and semen quality parameters and reproductive hormone levels were examined using linear regression, adjusting for potential confounders and covariates. Ninety-five percent of the men had detectable urinary BPA concentrations with unadjusted median (5th-95th) of 2.8 (0.16-11.5) ng/mL. After adjustment for important covariates, there was a significant positive association between urinary BPA concentrations and serum LH levels (β = 0.07, 95%CI: 0.02;0.12, p-value < 0.01). Urinary BPA concentration was also significantly and inversely associated with sperm concentration (β = - 0.04, 95%CI: - 0.07;- 0.02, p-value < 0.01) and TSC (β = - 0.05, 95%CI: - 0.08;- 0.02, p-value < 0.01). No significant associations were found between BPA and other semen parameters or reproductive hormone levels. Our results support the hypothesis that BPA exposure may be associated with a reduction in Leydig cell capacity (increased LH levels) and decreased sperm counts in young men.

Urinary bisphenol A concentrations are associated with reproductive parameters in young men.

The purpose of this study was to analyze whether the anogenital distance (AGD) was associated with variability in semen parameters. Semen parameters analyzed following the WHO guidelines and sperm DNA fragmentation were evaluated in 160 semen samples obtained over a period of a year from 16 healthy male volunteers. Two types of AGD measurements from the anus to the rear base of the scrotum (AGD) and to the cephalic insertion of the penis (AGD) were taken in each individual. The association between AGDs and semen parameters were studied using three statistical tools: a) general coefficient of variation (CV) and intra-individual coefficient of variation (CV), b) general linear models for repeated measures, and c) mixed model fixed effects panel data. Men with shortened AGD have significantly greater intra-individual variability in sperm concentration, total sperm count, and normal sperm morphology. Conversely, greater total sperm motility was observed in men with long AGD Shortened AGD was associated with less intra-individual variability of total sperm motility (progressive and non-progressive). AGD measurements were associated with the variability in semen parameters. AGD may be useful to determine intra-individual variability in semen parameters.

Anogenital distance and variability in semen parameters.

Parabens are a group of alkyl esters of p-hydroxybenzoic acid that are commonly added to personal care products, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and beverage and food processing as antimicrobial preservatives. Parabens have been reported to show estrogenic effects and affect male reproduction function in animal models, but human epidemiologic studies are still scarce. The objective of this study was to examine associations between urinary concentrations of parabens and semen quality and reproductive hormone levels. This was a cross-sectional study with 215 young university students (18-23years old) recruited between 2010 and 2011 in Southern Spain (Murcia Region). All men provided a urine, blood and semen sample on a single day. Urinary paraben concentrations (methylparaben, ethylparaben, propylparaben and butylparaben) were measured by dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction and ultra-high performance liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry detection. Semen quality was evaluated by measuring volume, sperm concentration, total sperm count (TSC), motility and morphology following WHO guidelines. Serum samples were analyzed for reproductive hormones, including follicle-stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, testosterone, inhibin B and estradiol using immunoassays. Associations between urinary concentrations of parabens and semen quality parameters and reproductive hormone levels were examined using linear regression, adjusting for potential covariates. Ninety-four percent of the men had detectable urinary concentrations of parabens. After taking into account important covariates, urinary concentrations of parabens or their molar sum were not significantly associated with any semen parameters or any of the reproductive hormone levels. Relative to men in the lowest quartile of sum of urinary paraben concentrations, the adjusted difference (95% CI) of TSC (millions) for men in the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th quartiles were 4.1% (-37.1;45.3), -1.6% (-41.9;38.8), and -9.8% (-52.5;32.8), respectively (P-trend=0.55). Our results suggest that, in young men, urinary parabens may not adversely impact reproductive function, but further research is warranted to confirm these findings in other male populations.

Urinary concentrations of parabens and reproductive parameters in young men.

Benzophenone (BP)-type ultraviolet (UV) light filters are chemicals frequently added to personal care products, insect repellents, sunscreens, and beverage and food packaging to diminish the harmful effects of UV sunlight on human skin or foodstuffs. BP-type UV filters have shown negative effects on male reproduction function in in vitro and animal models, but human epidemiologic studies are limited. The goal of this study was to examine associations between urinary concentrations of BP-type UV filters and semen quality and reproductive hormone levels.

Alberto M. Torres-Cantero

Institute for Biomedical Research of Murcia

IMIB-Arrixaca

Anogenital Distance and Perineal Measurements of the Pelvic Organ Prolapse (POP) Quantification System

Alberto M. Torres-Cantero

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IMIB-Arrixaca

Anogenital Distance and Perineal Measurements of the Pelvic Organ Prolapse (POP) Quantification System

Institute for Biomedical Research of Murcia