Effects of Lead Exposure on 1573 Male Workers’ Sex Hormones in China

Lead (Pb) is recognized as an environmental pollutant with male reproductive toxicity, but its effects on sex hormones remain unclear. This study investigated the relationship between male blood lead levels (BLLs) and the sex hormones of luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), and prolactin (PRL), as well as testosterone (T), estrogen (E2), and progesterone (PROG). Observational and experimental data from 1573 Pb-exposed workers (712 had also been surveyed in the previous year) and 35 Pb-poisoned patients (before and after Pb chelation therapy) were analyzed. Results from a cross-sectional study showed a nonlinear relationship between BLLs and LH/FSH, and a linear relationship between BLLs and serum T. After Pb chelation therapy, the BLLs in patients decreased from 61.7 to 36.3 (μg/dL), serum T and FSH decreased significantly (p < 0.001), and serum LH also decreased but without a significant change, while PRL and PROG increased significantly (p < 0.01). The data indicate that Pb may disturb male sex hormones by including LH, T, and FSH, and this needs further research.