Application of path analysis to urinary findings of cadmium-induced renal dysfunction.
In order to identify some causal relations among various urinary indices of cadmium-induced renal dysfunction, such as glucose, total protein, amino nitrogen, beta 2-microglobulin (beta 2-m), metallothionein (MT), and cadmium (Cd), we applied path analysis method to previous epidemiological studies targeting the residents of the Cd-polluted Kakehashi River basin of Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan. We obtained a diagram-termed path model, representing some causal relations among the above urinary indices. It shows that urinary Cd is located at the beginning point in the diagram, and Cd-induced renal dysfunction develops in the following order: Cd exposure-->increase of beta 2-m and/or MT excretion-->increase of amino-N and/or total protein excretion-->increase of glucose excretion. It was proved mathematically, that in the case of both males and females, increased excretions of beta 2-m and/or MT were the most sensitive urinary indices of the early stage of chronic Cd-induced renal dysfunction.
Abe
T
T
Department of Hygiene, Chiba University School of Medicine, 1-8-1 Inohana, Chuohku, Chiba 260-8670, Japan.
Kobayashi
E
E
Okubo
Y
Y
Suwazono
Y
Y
Kido
T
T
Shaikh
Z A
ZA
Nogawa
K
K
D000368:Aged; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000652:urine; D002104:Cadmium / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000652:urine; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000009:adverse effects*; D016021:Epidemiologic Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007674:Kidney Diseases / Q000209:etiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D011507:Proteinuria; D018570:Risk Assessment; D001613:beta 2-Microglobulin / Q000652:urine
D015415:Biomarkers; D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D001613:beta 2-Microglobulin; D002104:Cadmium