Elevated urinary excretion of metallothionein due to environmental cadmium exposure.
Metallothionein, a low molecular weight cadmium-binding protein, has been determined for the first time in urine of "itai-itai" disease patients and other Japanese women environmentally exposed to cadmium. On a group basis, the urinary metallothionein levels of "itai-itai" disease patients and suspected patients were significantly higher than that of women living in a cadmium-polluted area. Women living in a non-polluted area excreted significantly less metallothionein than women living in a cadmium-polluted area. A similar trend was observed for urinary beta 2-microglobulin, a nonspecific index of renal tubular dysfunction. However, mean levels of urinary cadmium in the "itai-itai" disease patients, suspected patients and women living in the cadmium-polluted area were similar. It is suggested that if, in addition to beta 2-microglobulin and cadmium, metallothionein is used as another index of cadmium exposure, monitoring of renal tubular dysfunction caused by cadmium may be more effectively carried out.
D000368:Aged; D002104:Cadmium / Q000652:urine; D002105:Cadmium Poisoning / Q000652:urine*; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007674:Kidney Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced; D008667:Metalloproteins / Q000652:urine*; D008668:Metallothionein / Q000652:urine*; D008875:Middle Aged; D001613:beta 2-Microglobulin / Q000652:urine
D008667:Metalloproteins; D001613:beta 2-Microglobulin; D002104:Cadmium; D008668:Metallothionein