Sperm evaluation in human genetic monitoring

Health hazards, including reproductive hazards, resulting from exposure to mutagenic chemical or physical agents are a major concern. Human genetic monitoring is a relatively new approach to the evaluation of human population exposure to mutagens that is based on the use of short-term tests with human cells (including sperm), tissues, and body fluids for genetic damage. Evaluation of sperm for count, percentage of morphologically abnormal forms, and frequency of heads containing zero, one, or two fluorescent bodies have been incorporated in genetic monitoring studies. In this paper, the application of human genetic monitoring to the evaluation of germ cell mutagen exposure is discussed. The purposes and limitations of human genetic monitoring studies are presented. Some of the practical issues involved in the use of sperm studies in genetic monitoring are described through the examples of two studies in different settings that were conducted by the author's laboratory. The first was a study of Autopsy Service workers within the resident institution of the laboratory. The second was a study of workers exposed to coal tar pitch volatiles at an industrial plant approximately 1,000 miles from the laboratory.