[ OSH-Link Home
| IVI Online
| Comments ]
Associations between mortality and urinary beta2-microglobulin (B2MG) excretion among persons living in a cadmium (7440439) contaminated area was examined. The sample consisted of 3,178 persons (1,754 women), at least 50 years (yr) old who lived in the Kakehashi River Basin, Ishikawa prefecture, Japan, an area heavily contaminated with cadmium. The subjects were followed for a 9yr period. Mortality was recorded and compared with changes in urinary excretion of b2MG, glucose, protein, and amino acids. Urinary b2MG excretion was used as an index of proximal tubular dysfunction, indicative of cadmium induced kidney disease. Subjects with urinary b2MG concentrations of 1,000 micrograms per gram creatinine (microg/g) or higher were considered to be b2MG positive and to have cadmium induced proximal tubular dysfunction. Subjects with urine b2MG concentrations below 1,000microg/g were considered not to have cadmium induced renal dysfunction. A total of 574 deaths, 296 males, occurred in the cohort during the 9yr period. Of these, 235 deaths occurred in the b2MG positive group. The remaining 339 deaths occurred among b2MG negative subjects. Relative to the general Japanese population, the standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) for males and females with urinary b2MG concentrations above 1,000microg/g were 129.5 and 146.0, respectively. These represented significant increases in the risk of mortality from kidney disease. The SMRs for b2MG negative males and females were 78.0 and 77.2, respectively, which represented significantly decreased risks compared to the general population. In the b2MG positive group, mortality increased with increasing urinary b2MG concentration, indicating that the risk increased with increasing severity of renal dysfunction. The authors conclude that the prognosis for cadmium exposed persons with proximal tubular dysfunction is not very favorable. The mortality risk tends to increase with increasing severity of renal dysfunction.
Archives of Environmental Health, 48(6):428-435, 1993. (40 references)
You can do a search of the OSH-DB database and get a list of articles on any topic of interest on our Visitor Search Page. Access to read the articles is limited to OSH-DB subscribers.