Occupational mercury vapour exposure and testicular, pituitary and thyroid endocrine function.

We have investigated the pituitary-testicular axis in a well-characterized population which was occupationally exposed to mercury vapour. Thyroid stimulating hormone and prolactin were also measured as indices of thyroid and pituitary endocrine function. We found no relation between blood or urine mercury levels or length of occupational exposure with any measurement of endocrine function. A small, but statistically significant negative correlation between serum sex-hormone binding globulin and the duration of occupational exposure to mercury was found. The physiological significance of this result is unclear.