Potential hazards of bisphenol A exposure to semen quality and sperm DNA integrity among infertile men

•Possible association between urinary bisphenol A and male infertility is debated.•A case-control sample from Upper Egypt with measurement of bisphenol A.•High total bisphenol A in entire urine samples though higher in infertile men.•Stronger link with semen quality, DNA integrity, oxidative stress in infertile men. Bisphenol A (BPA) is an endocrine disruptor that is widely produced as a by-product in the plastics industry. The aim of the current study was to identify any association between urinary BPA levels and infertility related factors in patients who presented to the andrology clinic of a university hospital in Upper Egypt. In this case-control study, urinary BPA levels in 50 infertile patients and 50 matched controls were measured by high-performance liquid chromatography. Semen quality (sperm concentration, morphology, and motility) and oxidative stress (total antioxidant activity and malondialdehyde levels) were determined along with sperm DNA damage via alkaline comet assays. BPA concentrations were similarly high in urine samples from all infertile patients and fertile controls, with median values of 24.2 μg/l and 20.9 μg/l, respectively. Total BPA levels were negatively associated with semen quality and antioxidant levels, and positively correlated with DNA damage, especially with multiple semen profile defects, alongside seminal-plasma lipid peroxidation.