Levels and determinants of urinary cadmium in general population in Spain: Metal-MCC-Spain study

Exposure of the general French population to metals and metalloids in 2014-2016: Results from the Esteban study

BACKGROUND

The purpose of the Esteban study was to describe levels of various biomarkers of exposure to several environmental pollutants, including metals and metalloids, among the French population. This paper describes the distribution of concentrations of 28 metals and metalloids in two different populations, and estimates the main determinants of exposure to total arsenic, the sum of inorganic arsenic (iAs) and its two metabolites monomethylarsonic acid (MMA) and dimethylarsinic acid (DMA), cadmium, chromium, copper, mercury and nickel.

METHODS

Esteban is a cross-sectional study conducted between 2014 and 2016 on a random sample of 2503 adults (18-74 years old) and 1104 children (6-17 years old) from the general population. The data collected included biological samples (blood, hair, and urines), socio-demographic characteristics, environmental and occupational exposure, and information on dietary factors and lifestyle. The geometric mean and percentiles of the distribution were estimated for each metal. Multivariate analyses were performed to identify the determinants of exposure using a generalized linear model.

RESULTS

Only four metals had a quantification rate below 90% in adults (beryllium, iridium, palladium, and platinum), and three metals in children (beryllium, iridium, and platinum). The concentrations of total arsenic, cadmium, chromium and mercury were higher than those found in most international studies. The determinants significantly associated with exposure were mainly diet and smoking.

CONCLUSIONS

Esteban provided a nationwide description of 28 metal and metalloid exposure levels for adults (some never measured before) and for the first time in children. The study results highlighted widespread exposure to several metals and metalloids. These results could be used to advocate public health decisions for continued efforts to reduce harmful exposure to toxic metals. The Reference values (RV95) built from Esteban could also be used to support future government strategies.

Reference values for plasma and urine trace elements in a Swiss population-based cohort

OBJECTIVES

Trace elements (TEs) are ubiquitous. TE concentrations vary among individuals and countries, depending on factors such as living area, workplaces and diet. Deficit or excessive TEs concentrations have consequences on the proper functioning of human organism so their biomonitoring is important. The aim of this project was to provide reference values for TEs concentrations in the Swiss population.

METHODS

The 1,078 participants to the SKiPOGH cohort included in this study were aged 18-90 years. Their 24-h urine and/or plasma samples were analyzed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) to determine 24 TEs concentrations: Ag, Al, As, Be, Bi, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Hg, I, Li, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, Pd, Pt, Sb, Se, Sn, Tl, V and Zn. Statistical tests were performed to evaluate the influence of covariates (sex, age, BMI, smoking) on these results. Reference intervals for the Swiss adult population were also defined.

RESULTS

TEs concentrations were obtained for respectively 994 and 903 persons in plasma and urine matrices. It was possible to define percentiles of interest (P50 and P95) for almost all the TEs. Differences in TEs distribution between men and women were noticed in both matrices; age was also a cofactor.

CONCLUSIONS

This first Swiss biomonitoring of a large TEs-panel offers reference values in plasma and in urine for the Swiss population. The results obtained in this study were generally in line with clinical recommendations and comparable to levels reported in other population-based surveys.

National analysis of urinary cadmium concentration and kidney stone: Evidence from NHANES (2011–2020)

Background

The association between urinary cadmium and kidney stone risk is inconsistent in previous studies, which needs further exploration. This study was performed to explore the association between urinary cadmium and kidney stone.

Materials and methods

Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2011–2020) were included and further analyzed. Urinary cadmium was stratified into quartiles with quartile 1 (Q1: 0.025–0.104 μg/L) and quartile 4 (Q4: 0.435–7.581 μg/L). Further weighted logistic regression was adopted to evaluate the association between urinary cadmium and kidney stone. A subgroup analysis was used to verify the findings. The non-linear association was examined using the restricted cubic spline (RCS) regression.

Results

A total of 9,056 adults aged 20 years and above were included in this study. In the fully adjusted model, an increased risk of kidney stones was identified for quartile 2 (OR = 1.40, 95% CI = 1.06–1.84, P < 0.05), quartile 3 (OR = 1.18, 95% CI = 0.88–1.59, P > 0.05), and quartile 4 (OR = 1.54, 95% CI = 1.10–2.06, P < 0.05). A similar association was found between continuous cadmium increase and OR of kidney stones in the fully adjusted model (OR = 1.13, 95% CI = 1.01–1.26, P < 0.05). The RCS also indicated a non-linear association between urinary cadmium concentration and kidney stone risk (P for non-linear < 0.001).

Conclusion

In summary, cadmium exposure is identified as a risk factor for kidney stones in this study. Their non-linear association makes demands on early intervention for the cadmium-exposed population. Medical interventions for kidney stone prevention should take cadmium exposure into account.

Urinary cadmium concentrations and intake of nutrients, food groups and dietary patterns in women from Northern Mexico

Cadmium (Cd) is a toxic metal found in some foods. There is limited evidence about the relationship of Cd exposure with nutrient and food groups consumption, and almost no information regarding dietary patterns. The objective was to evaluate the association between diet and urinary Cd, and to explore whether metal concentrations vary according to the intake of some nutrients. Urinary Cd concentrations of 891 female residents of northern Mexico were determined by tandem mass spectrometry. We obtained food consumption through a food frequency questionnaire and we used previously defined food groups and estimated dietary patterns by factor analysis. We found positive associations between Cd and daily consumption of non-starchy vegetables (ß = 0.067, 95% CI 0.030, 0.1023), legumes (ß = 0.139, 95% CI 0.065, 0.213) and processed meats (ß = 0.163, 95% CI 0.035.0.291), as well as the Western (ß = 0.083, 95% CI: 0.027.0.139) and Prudent dietary patterns (ß = 0.035, 95% CI: -0.020, 0.091). In contrast, we observed a negative association with the vegetable oil group (ß = -0.070, 95% CI -0.125, -0.014). In addition, we found higher concentrations of Cd in women under 50 years of age with a lower iron intake than recommended. Food is a source of exposure to this metal and at the same time provides nutrients that modulate its metabolism. It is important to generate dietary guidelines to reduce the health effects of Cd exposure.

Urinary cadmium and peripheral blood telomere length predict the risk of renal function impairment: a study of 547 community residents of Shanxi, China

Few reports have investigated the predictive value of urinary cadmium (UCd) and telomere length on renal function impairment. Therefore, we constructed nomogram models, using a cross-sectional survey to analyze the potential function of UCd and telomere length in renal function impairment risk. We randomly selected two community populations in Shanxi, China, and general information of the subjects was collected through face-to-face questionnaire surveys. Venous blood of subjects was collected to detect absolute telomere length (ATL) by real-time quantitative chain reaction (RT-PCR). Collecting urinary samples detected UCd and urinary N-acetyl-β-d-glucosaminidase (UNAG). Estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was obtained based on serum creatinine (SCr). Nomogram models on risk prediction analysis of renal function impairment was constructed. After adjusting for other confounding factors, UCd (β = 0.853, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.739 ~ 0.986) and ATL (β = 1.803, 95%CI: 1.017 ~ 1.154) were independent risk influencing factors for increased UNAG levels, and the risk factors for eGFR reduction were UCd (β = 1.011, 95%CI: 1.187 ~ 1.471), age (β = 1.630, 95%CI: 1.303 ~ 2.038), and sex (β = 0.181, 95%CI: 0.105 ~ 0.310). Using UCd, ATL, sex, and age to construct the nomogram, and the C-statistics 0.584 (95%CI: 0.536 ~ 0.632) and 0.816 (95%CI: 0.781 ~ 0.851) were obtained by internal verification of the calibration curve, C-statistics revealed nomogram model validation was good and using decision curve analysis (DCA) confirmed a good predictive value of the nomogram models. In a nomogram model, ATL, UCd, sex, and age were detected as independent risk factors for renal function impairment, with UCd being the strongest predictor.