Cadmium concentration in human kidney biopsies

Cadmium, lead and mercury concentrations in pathologically altered human kidneys

Heavy metals, including cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb) and mercury (Hg) act as nephrotoxic agents, particularly in the renal cortex. The aim of the study was to determine the concentrations of Cd, Pb and Hg in kidneys removed from patients due to lesions of various etiologies and from patients after the rejection of transplanted kidneys. Additionally, we determined the influence of selected biological and environmental factors on the concentrations of toxic metals. The study material consisted of kidneys with tumor lesions (n = 27), without tumors (n = 7) and its extracted grafts (n = 10) obtained from patients belongs to the north-western areas of Poland. The determined metal concentrations in the renal cortex and medulla may be arranged in the following descending order: Cd > Pb > Hg. The highest concentrations of Cd and Hg were found in the cortex, while the maximum content Pb was observed in the medulla. Significant correlations were found in the concentrations of the same metals between cortex and medulla and between Pb and Hg in the renal medulla. Pb content was higher in the renal medulla of men than in the cortex of the elderly (above 60 years of age). The highest concentrations of Pb and Hg were found in the cortex and medulla, of the kidneys had not neoplastic changes, and lower content of these metals were found in the extracted kidney grafts. In summary, renal grafts accumulate less heavy metals than cancerous kidneys, what could have been caused by immunosuppressors taken by the graft recipients. Moreover, sex, age and smoking are key factors responsible for xenobiotics concentrations.

Cadmium levels in kidney cortex in Swedish farmers

The cadmium levels in kidney cortex (K-Cd) did not differ statistically between 10 nonsmoking farmers from the south of Sweden, who had a high intake of locally produced food and who were affected by acid precipitation (as indicated by low pH in the drinking water from their private wells) and 10 farmers less affected (medians: K-Cd, 18 vs. 14 microg/g; water pH, 5.2 vs. 7.8). Neither did 10 farmers selected because of "high" blood cadmium (B-Cd) differ from 10 with "low" [medians: K-Cd, 15 vs. 9 microg/g; B-Cd, 2.6 vs. 1.3 nmol/L (0.29 vs. 0.14 microg/L)]. In all 40 farmers, there was an increase of urinary cadmium levels (U-Cd) with decreasing drinking water pH (r(s) = -0.32, P = 0.045). Further, K-Cd increased with rising B-Cd (r(s) = 0.33, P = 0.037), and both B-Cd (r(s) = 0.73, P = 0.0005), and U-Cd (r(s) = 0.74, P = 0.0005) rose with increasing age. Further, there was an association between U-Cd and B-Cd (r(s) = 0.68, P = 0.0005). We could not demonstrate with certainty any effect of the acid precipitation on the cadmium retention in the farmers, although the association between U-Cd and drinking water pH deserves further study.

Cadmium, zinc, copper and metallothionein levels in the kidney and liver of humans from central Poland

Cd, Zn, Cu, and metallothionein (MT) levels have been determined in the renal cortex and liver of 70 persons who died in Lodz and its surroundings in the years 1985-1989. The mean concentrations were: 44.9±28.6 µg Cd/g, 52.0±16.7 µg Zn/g, 2.4±1.0 µg Cu/g, 0.79±0.40 µmol Hg/g, and 3.5±1.8 µg Cd/g, 66.7±30.5 µg Zn/g, 4.9±2.1 µg Cu/g, 0.50±0.38 µmol Hg/g wet tissue in renal cortex and liver, respectively, with mean age 54.0±13.8. Smokers showed 2.4 times higher levels of Cd in the renal cortex than non-smokers. The mean body burden of Cd was 33.4±17.3 mg. Smoking increases it twofold from 22.0 mg in non-smokers to 41.8 mg in smokers.

Cadmium, zinc, copper, and metallothionein levels in the kidney and liver of inhabitants of upper Silesia (Poland)

The levels of Cd, Zn, Cu and metallothionein (MT) were determined in renal cortex and liver of 75 subjects decreased in the period 1986-1989 in the area of Upper Silesia (Katowice). The mean age of the population studied was 53.6 +/- 14.6 years. The determined levels (mean +/- SD) were: 43.1 +/- 23.5 micrograms Cd/g; 52.5 +/- 17.4 micrograms Zn/g; 2.2 +/- 0.7 microgram Cu/g; 0.80 +/- 0.36 mumol Hg/g in renal cortex and 3.5 +/- 2.5 micrograms Cd/g; 82.8 +/- 34.3 micrograms Zn/g; 4.5 +/- 2.6 micrograms Cu/g; 0.69 +/- 0.44 mumol Hg/g in the liver. The level of Cd in renal cortex was 40% higher in smokers compared to nonsmokers and was independent of the gender. Whole-body retention of Cd was 34.1 +/- 18.5 mg; smoking elevated the value from 27.1 to 38.2 mg. Compared with a similar study made in central Poland (Lódź), a significant difference was found only regarding the level of Zn and MT in the liver, pointing to the possibility that exposure to this element in the region of Upper Silesia may be higher.