exudates and Genital-Diseases--Male

It is well known that the endocrine-disrupting chemical (EDC) dibutylphthalate (DBP) inhibits testosterone synthesis and can lead to feminisation in male laboratory animals. Moreover, it has long been speculated that human exposure would result in the similar effects, but this is difficult to study because specific human exposure cohorts are rare. We report increases in the incidences of hypospadias (p<0.05), cryptorchidism (p<0.05) and breast cancer (p<0.05) in the children of New Zealand soldiers who served in Malaya (1948-1960) and were exposed to DBP applied daily to their clothing as an acaricide to prevent tick-transmitted bush typhus. In addition, we modelled absorption of DBP from the soldiers' clothing and using published data for skin absorption, and calculated a large theoretical absorbed dose of 64 mg/kg body weight/day which is similar to DBP's lowest observed adverse effect level (LOAEL) of 50 mg/kg body weight/day and thus indicates a biological effect is possible. This is the first report of a multigenerational developmental effect following DBP exposure in human males.

Topics: Acaricides; Adult; Breast Neoplasms; Clothing; Cryptorchidism; Dibutyl Phthalate; Female; Genital Diseases, Female; Genital Diseases, Male; Humans; Hypospadias; Incidence; Malaysia; Male; New Zealand; Paternal Exposure; Plasticizers; Puberty, Precocious; Retrospective Studies; Skin Absorption; Veterans

The microbial aetiology of genital ulcers was studied in 249 patients (241 men and 8 women) attending a Sexually Transmitted Disease Clinic in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Herpes simplex virus type 2 was isolated in 48 (19.2%) patients, Haemophilus ducreyi from 22 (8.8%), Neisseria gonorrhoeae from seven (2.8%) and Chlamydia trachomatis from four (1.6%). Syphilis was diagnosed in 18 (7.2%) patients on the basis of dark field microscopy. Two (0.8%) patients were found to have both chancroid and syphilis and one (0.5%) had both gonorrhoea and syphilis. No organism was isolated in the remaining 151 (61.5%) patients. Overall, the accuracy of clinical diagnosis was 58% for single infection, 67% for herpes, 63% for syphilis, 47% for chancroid and 0% for lymphogranuloma venereum. Therefore, our study confirms the need for laboratory tests to diagnose accurately the aetiology of genital ulcer disease.

Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Chlamydia Infections; Chlamydia trachomatis; Female; Genital Diseases, Female; Genital Diseases, Male; Gonorrhea; Haemophilus Infections; Herpes Genitalis; Humans; Malaysia; Male; Middle Aged; Ulcer

Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Child; Child, Preschool; Ethnicity; Female; Filariasis; Filarioidea; Genital Diseases, Male; Humans; India; Infant; Lymphadenitis; Lymphangitis; Lymphedema; Malaysia; Male; Middle Aged; Occupations; Socioeconomic Factors; Tropical Climate