Correlation between environmental low-dose cadmium exposure and early kidney damage: A comparative study in an industrial zone vs. a living quarter in Shanghai, China.

To investigate heavy metal exposure in an industrial zone vs. a living quarter in Shanghai and explore the relationship between the heavy metal source and urine cadmium (Cd) and early kidney damage. Blood lead and urine Cd, manganese (Mn), mercury (Hg), arsenic (As) and EKD indexes were compared between residents in Exposure group (n = 168) and Control group (n = 168). It was found that PM2.5 level in Exposure group was significantly higher than that in Control group, and serum Cys-C and urine Cd, NAG, mAlb, KIM-1 and Cd-MT levels in Exposure group were also significantly higher than those in Control group, suggesting that differences in urine Cd and heavy metal levels between the residents of the two groups may be due to different PM2.5 concentrations in the environments of the two areas. Cd accumulation within the human body can induce kidney damage, probably through its potential hazard to the proximal tubular epithelial cells.