Renal effects of cadmium intake of a Japanese general population in two areas unpolluted by cadmium.

Renal effects of cadmium exposure (i.e., in food products) on people living in two areas unpolluted by cadmium in Japan were investigated. The population comprised 875 inhabitants (i.e., 346 males and 529 females) and 635 inhabitants (i.e., 222 males and 413 females), all of whom in each area were 50+ y of age. The authors used urinary cadmium concentration as an indicator of internal dose, and total urinary protein, beta2-microglobulin, and N-acetyl-beta-glucosaminidase were indicators of renal dysfunction. The authors used multiple-regression and logistic-regression analyses to study the relationship between urinary cadmium excretion and the above indicators of renal dysfunction. In the two geographic areas, both analyses revealed that urinary cadmium concentrations were associated significantly with indicators of renal dysfunction. The results suggest that renal dysfunction is related significantly with environmental cadmium exposure in areas of Japan that are not polluted by cadmium.