Early renal effects of occupational exposure to low-level hexavalent chromium.
To detect early renal effects of occupational exposure to hexavalent chromium (Cr), urinary total proteins (U-TP), urinary albumin (U-Alb) and urinary retinol-binding protein (U-RBP) were determined in 166 male Cr platers and 106 male controls. The mean employment time in Cr plating for the platers was 12.6 years. Urinary Cr (U-Cr), which was determined as an index of Cr exposure, ranged from "not detected" to 19.91 micrograms/g creatinine in the platers. The U-Cr level was lower than those in other previous studies. Age-adjusted U-TP, U-Alb or U-RBP levels were not different between the platers and the controls. In the platers, a significant positive correlation was found between age-adjusted U-TP and U-Cr, but U-Cr had no significant relation to age-adjusted U-Alb or U-RBP level. Employment time had no effect on any age-adjusted urinary proteins. The Cr exposure may have been too low to induce definite renal dysfunction. Early renal effects of low-level Cr exposure may be mild, and may not be specific to renal function.
Nagaya
T
T
Department of Public Health, Gifu University School of Medicine, Japan.
Ishikawa
N
N
Hata
H
H
Takahashi
A
A
Yoshida
I
I
Okamoto
Y
Y
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D002857:Chromium / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000652:urine; D006801:Humans; D007668:Kidney / Q000187:drug effects*; D008297:Male; D008669:Metallurgy; D008875:Middle Aged; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D013054:Spectrophotometry, Atomic; D013997:Time Factors
D002857:Chromium; C074702:chromium hexavalent ion