Isolation of beta-microglobulin from the urine of patients with itai-itai (ouch-ouch) disease

Zinc, cadmium, metallothionein, and progesterone: do they participate in the etiology of pregnancy induced hypertension?

Cadmium, a toxic heavy metal, has been incriminated in the etiology of essential hypertension. Zinc, an essential micronutrient necessary for growth, competes with cadmium for binding sites in biochemical processes; zinc deficiency states (i.e. pregnancy and low protein diet) might expose an individual to increased risk of cadmium toxicity. The increased sensitivity to cadmium during pregnancy could also be related to the effect of progesterone on zinc and cadmium metabolism through the actions of metallothionein (MT). MT is a low molecular weight protein believed to function in cadmium detoxification. Several studies in lab animals have documented a late gestation drop of maternal MT levels. This was thought to be due to rising progesterone levels. If there is also a late gestation drop in human maternal MT, then the propensity toward maternal cadmium toxicity would be enhanced. Therefore, we propose that when a zinc deficient woman becomes pregnant and is exposed to both the nutritional demands of the fetus and to the influence of progesterone, she will be likely to develop the manifestations of cadmium toxicity (i.e. hypertension, proteinuria, edema, etc.).

A comparative study of serum alpha 1-microglobulin and beta 2-microglobulin levels in cancerous and other diseases

The levels of serum alpha 1-microglobulin in 60 normal persons and in 191 patients suffering from a variety of benign and malignant disorders were determined by an enzyme immunoassay, and these values were compared with the levels of beta 2-microglobulin. A discrepancy between the serum levels of these proteins was found in hepatobiliary disorders; that is, an increased serum level of beta 2-microglobulin was observed in 73.9%, while in only 4.3% was there an elevation of alpha 1-microglobulin. In particular, alpha 1-microglobulin levels in patients with liver cirrhosis were well below the normal range, while beta 2-microglobulin levels were elevated. Elevated levels of both proteins were noted in patients with some impairments of renal function, particularly in chronic renal failure, and in immunological diseases. In 81 patients with neoplastic diseases, a high alpha 1-microglobulin value was found in only 15 patients (16.4%), while a high beta 2-microglobulin value in 62 patients (76.5%). The serum levels of both alpha 1-microglobulin and beta 2-microglobulin were especially high in plasma cell dyscrasia with Bence Jones protein, but other neoplastic diseases were mostly associated with beta 2-microglobulin elevation alone.