Correa A, Gray R H, Cohen R, Rothman N, Shah F, Seacat H, Corn M
Department of Epidemiology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Hygiene and Public Health, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
Am J Epidemiol. 1996 Apr 1;143(7):707-17. doi: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a008804.
Potential reproductive effects from occupational exposures to ethylene glycol ethers (EGE) are of concern since these organic solvents have been used widely in industry, and their reproductive toxicity has been well documented in animal studies. For determination of whether occupational exposure to EGE was associated with increased risks of spontaneous abortion and subfertility (i.e., taking more than 1 year of unprotected intercourse to conceive), a retrospective cohort study was conducted among workers at two semiconductor manufacturing plants in the eastern United States in 1980-1989 as part of a larger evaluation of reproductive health. Reproductive and occupational histories were obtained from interviews of semiconductor manufacturing workers and spouses. Assessment of potential exposure to mixtures containing EGE (none, low, medium, and high) was based on reported processes and company records. There were 1,150 pregnancies to semiconductor manufacturers, 561 to female employees and 589 to wives of male employees. Among female manufacturers, potential exposure to mixtures containing EGE was associated with increased risks of spontaneous abortion (relative risk in the high exposure group = 2.8; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.4-5.6) and subfertility (odds ratio in the high exposure group = 4.6; 95% CI 1.6-13.3). Both of these risks exhibited a dose-response relation with potential EGE exposure (p for trend = 0.02). Among spouses of male manufacturers potentially exposed to mixtures containing EGE, there was no increased risk of spontaneous abortion, but there was a nonsignificant increased risk of subfertility (odds ratio in the high exposure group = 1.7; 95% CI 0.7-4.3).
职业接触乙二醇醚（EGE）对生殖的潜在影响令人担忧，因为这些有机溶剂在工业中广泛使用，并且其生殖毒性在动物研究中已有充分记录。为了确定职业接触EGE是否与自然流产和生育力低下风险增加（即未采取保护措施性交超过1年才受孕）有关，1980年至1989年在美国东部两家半导体制造工厂的工人中进行了一项回顾性队列研究，作为对生殖健康进行更大规模评估的一部分。通过对半导体制造工人及其配偶的访谈获取生殖和职业史。根据报告的工艺流程和公司记录评估潜在接触含EGE混合物（无、低、中、高）的情况。半导体制造商有1150次妊娠，其中女性员工561次，男性员工配偶589次。在女性制造商中，潜在接触含EGE混合物与自然流产风险增加（高暴露组相对风险=2.8；95%置信区间（CI）1.4 - 5.6）和生育力低下风险增加（高暴露组优势比=4.6；95%CI 1.6 - 13.3）相关。这两种风险均与潜在EGE暴露呈现剂量反应关系（趋势p值=0.02）。在可能接触含EGE混合物的男性制造商配偶中，自然流产风险未增加，但生育力低下风险有非显著增加（高暴露组优势比=1.7；95%CI 0.7 - 4.3）。
