BMC endocrine disorders
Occupational cadmium exposure and endocrine biomarker alterations in male workers: a cross-sectional study
By Özkan Vardar D, Tutkun L, İritaş SB and 5 others.
Abstract
Background
Occupational exposure to cadmium (Cd) remains an important environmental health concern, particularly in industrial settings where long-term exposure may affect multiple physiological systems. Although Cd has been linked to reproductive and cardiovascular toxicity, human studies that simultaneously evaluate biomarkers of endocrine and endothelial dysfunction remain limited. This cross-sectional study examined the association between occupational Cd exposure and hormonal and endothelial biomarkers in adult male workers.
Methods
This cross-sectional study included 170 men, comprising 85 cadmium-exposed workers and 85 unexposed controls. Urinary cadmium concentrations were measured by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Serum levels of total testosterone, luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA), symmetric dimethylarginine (SDMA), arginine, and citrulline were measured using standard laboratory methods. Group comparisons and correlation analyses were conducted to assess associations between cadmium exposure and biomarker profiles.