title: Evaluation of calcium excretion in Brazilian infantile and young population environmentally exposed to lead.
abstract: Lead exposure is an important issue in the research of several toxic effects resulting from the biochemical interaction between this metal and the organism. Calcium is a fundamental mineral for the maintenance of the organism homeostasis where there is interaction between lead and calcium in metabolic pathways. Environmental lead exposure by verifying the usefulness and applicability of urinary calcium/creatinine ratio (UCa/Cr) in this context was evaluated. This was an extensive socio-demographic study of the nutritional profile, lead exposure biomarkers in blood and the urine and UCa/Cr ratio. The children studied were from a low socio-economic group characterized by unsatisfactory nutritional diet. Lead environmental exposure was shown by biomarkers, with UCa/Cr ratio having positive and significant correlations with both lead and delta-aminolevulinic acid in urine (ALA-U), without colinearity diagnosis. There was a strong association between calcium excretion and lead exposure as a result of linear regression construction models. In children, lead increases calcium excretion which is an additional risk to infantile health. Urinary calcium/creatinine ratio may be a useful tool in the biological monitoring of lead exposure and health promotion programs.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Toxicology, Workers' Health and Human Ecology Studies Center, Sergio Arouca National Public Health School, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil. mattos@ensp.fiocruz.br
authors.forename: Rita de Cássia
authors.initials: Rde C
authors.lastname: Oliveira da Costa Mattos
authors.forename: Ely Caetano
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Xavier
authors.forename: Helena Ramirez
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Domingos Mainenti
authors.forename: Simone
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mitri Nogueira
authors.forename: Márcia Aparecida
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Ribeiro de Carvalho
authors.forename: Maria de Fátima
authors.initials: Mde F
authors.lastname: Ramos Moreira
authors.forename: Leandro Barreto
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Vargas de Carvalho
authors.forename: Mariane
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tabalipa
authors.forename: Renato
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Borges
authors.forename: Maria de Fátima
authors.initials: Mde F
authors.lastname: Malizia Alves
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001938:Brazil; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism / Q000652:urine*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003404:Creatinine / Q000652:urine; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000032:analysis*; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000032:analysis* / Q000097:blood / Q000652:urine; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007854:Lead / Q000032:analysis* / Q000097:blood / Q000652:urine; D008297:Male; D009752:Nutritional Status; D012923:Social Class
chemical_list: D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D007854:Lead; D003404:Creatinine; D002118:Calcium