title: The association between urinary kidney injury molecule 1 and urinary cadmium in elderly during long-term, low-dose cadmium exposure: a pilot study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Urinary kidney injury molecule 1 is a recently discovered early biomarker for renal damage that has been proven to be correlated to urinary cadmium in rats. However, so far the association between urinary cadmium and kidney injury molecule 1 in humans after long-term, low-dose cadmium exposure has not been studied.
  
  
  METHODS
  We collected urine and blood samples from 153 non-smoking men and women aged 60+, living in an area with moderate cadmium pollution from a non-ferrous metal plant for a significant period. Urinary cadmium and urinary kidney injury molecule 1 as well as other renal biomarkers (alpha1-microglobulin, beta2-microglobulin, blood urea nitrogen, urinary proteins and microalbumin) were assessed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Both before (r = 0.20; p = 0.01) and after (partial r = 0.32; p < 0.0001) adjustment for creatinine, age, sex, past smoking, socio-economic status and body mass index, urinary kidney injury molecule 1 correlated with urinary cadmium concentrations. No significant association was found between the other studied renal biomarkers and urinary cadmium.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We showed that urinary kidney injury molecule 1 levels are positively correlated with urinary cadmium concentration in an elderly population after long-term, low-dose exposure to cadmium, while other classical markers do not show an association. Therefore, urinary kidney injury molecule 1 might be considered as a biomarker for early-stage metal-induced kidney injury by cadmium.
authors: Biomedical Research Institute, Hasselt University and Transnational University Limburg, School of Life Sciences, Diepenbeek, Belgium. Valerie.pennemans@uhasselt.be
authors: Valérie
authors: V
authors: Pennemans
authors: Liesbeth M
authors: LM
authors: De Winter
authors: Elke
authors: E
authors: Munters
authors: Tim S
authors: TS
authors: Nawrot
authors: Emmy
authors: E
authors: Van Kerkhove
authors: Jean-Michel
authors: JM
authors: Rigo
authors: Carmen
authors: C
authors: Reynders
authors: Harrie
authors: H
authors: Dewitte
authors: Robert
authors: R
authors: Carleer
authors: Joris
authors: J
authors: Penders
authors: Quirine
authors: Q
authors: Swennen
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000418:Albumins / Q000032:analysis; D000510:Alpha-Globulins / Q000652:urine; D001530:Belgium; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis / Q000652:urine; D001806:Blood Urea Nitrogen; D002104:Cadmium / Q000633:toxicity* / Q000652:urine*; D003404:Creatinine / Q000652:urine; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D005260:Female; D000072596:Hepatitis A Virus Cellular Receptor 1; D006801:Humans; D007668:Kidney / Q000473:pathology*; D007674:Kidney Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced*; D008297:Male; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000652:urine*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011507:Proteinuria / Q000652:urine; D011991:Receptors, Virus; D001613:beta 2-Microglobulin / Q000652:urine
chemical_list: D000418:Albumins; D000510:Alpha-Globulins; D015415:Biomarkers; C491143:HAVCR1 protein, human; D000072596:Hepatitis A Virus Cellular Receptor 1; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D011991:Receptors, Virus; D001613:beta 2-Microglobulin; D002104:Cadmium; D003404:Creatinine