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Title: Association of tibia lead and blood lead with end-stage renal disease: A pilot study of African-Americans

Journal Article · · Environmental Research
 [1];  [2];  [3];  [2];  [2];  [4]
  1. Department of Epidemiology, Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, 1430 Tulane Avenue, SL-18, New Orleans, LA 70112 (United States) and Department of Medicine, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA (United States)
  2. Department of Epidemiology, Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, 1430 Tulane Avenue, SL-18, New Orleans, LA 70112 (United States)
  3. Department of Medicine, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA (United States)
  4. Department of Community and Preventive Medicine, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY (United States)

The association between body lead burden and kidney disease remains controversial. Fifty-five African-American end-stage renal disease (ESRD) cases and 53 age- and sex-matched African-American controls without known renal disease were recruited from Tulane University-affiliated dialysis clinics and out-patient clinics, respectively. Blood lead was measured via atomic absorption spectrophotometry and tibia lead (a measure of body lead) was measured via {sup 109}Cd-based K shell X-ray fluorescence. Median blood lead levels were significantly higher among ESRD cases (6 {mu}g/dL) compared to their control counterparts (3 {mu}g/dL; P<0.001). Although no participants had overt lead poisoning (blood lead {>=}25 {mu}g/dL), seven cases but no controls had blood lead levels above 10 {mu}g/dL (P=0.006). The median tibia lead level was 17 micrograms of lead per gram of bone mineral ({mu}g/g) and 13 {mu}g/g among ESRD cases and their control counterparts, respectively (P=0.134). Four ESRD cases (7%), but no controls, had a tibia lead level above 40 {mu}g/g (P=0.115) while a similar proportion of cases and controls had tibia lead between 20 and 39 {mu}g/g (33% and 32%, respectively; P=0.726). After adjustment for potential confounders, the odds ratios of ESRD associated with a tibia lead {>=}20 {mu}g/g and each four-fold higher tibia lead (e.g., 5-20 {mu}g/g) were 1.55 (95% CI: 0.55, 4.41) and 1.88 (95% CI: 0.53, 6.68), respectively. These findings support the need for prospective cohort studies of body lead burden and renal disease progression.

OSTI ID:
20972078
Journal Information:
Environmental Research, Vol. 104, Issue 3; Other Information: DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2007.04.001; PII: S0013-9351(07)00076-X; Copyright (c) 2007 Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam, The Netherlands, All rights reserved; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0013-9351
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English