title: Environmental exposures of trace elements assessed using keratinized matrices from patients with chronic kidney diseases of uncertain etiology (CKDu) in Sri Lanka.
abstract: An alarming increase in chronic kidney disease with unknown etiology (CKDu) has recently been reported in several provinces in Sri Lanka and chronic exposures to toxic trace elements were blamed for the etiology of this disease. Keratinized matrices such as hair and nails were investigated to determine the possible link between CKDu and toxic element exposures. Elements Li, B, Al, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Se, Sr, Mo, Cd, Ba, Hg and Pb of hair and nails of patients and age that matched healthy controls were determined with Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS). The results showed that trace element contents in the hair of patients varies in the order of Zn>Fe>Al>Mn>Cu>Ba>Sr>Ni>Pb>Cr>B>Hg>Se>Mo>Co>As>Li>Cd while Fe>Al>Zn>Ni>Cu>Mn>Cr>Ba>Sr>B>Pb>Se>Mo>Co>Hg>Li>As>Cd in nail samples. The hair As levels of 0.007-0.165μgg-1were found in CKDu subjects. However, no significant difference was observed between cases and controls. The total Se content in hair of CKDu subjects ranged from 0.043 to 0.513μgg-1while it was varied from 0.031 to 1.15μgg-1in controls. Selenium in nail samples varied from 0.037μgg-1to 4.10μgg-1in CKDu subjects and from 0.042μgg-1to 2.19μgg-1in controls. This study implies that substantial proportions of Sri Lankan population are Se deficient irrespective of gender, age and occupational exposure. Although some cutaneous manifestations were observed in patient subjects, chemical analyses of hair and nails indicated that patients were not exposed to toxic levels of arsenic or the other studied toxic elements. Therefore the early suggested causative factors such as exposure to environmental As and Cd, can be ruled out.
authors.affiliation: Department of Geology, Faculty of Science, University of Peradeniya, Peradeniya, Sri Lanka; Postgraduate Institute of Science, University of Peradeniya, Peradeniya, Sri Lanka.
authors.forename: Saranga
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Diyabalanage
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Peradeniya, Peradeniya, Sri Lanka.
authors.forename: Sanjeewani
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fonseka
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Peradeniya, Peradeniya, Sri Lanka.
authors.forename: D M S N B
authors.initials: DMSNB
authors.lastname: Dasanayake
authors.affiliation: Department of Geology, Faculty of Science, University of Peradeniya, Peradeniya, Sri Lanka. Electronic address: rohanac@pdn.ac.lk.
authors.forename: Rohana
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Chandrajith
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D006197:Hair / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D007633:Keratins / Q000737:chemistry*; D008297:Male; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D008875:Middle Aged; D009262:Nails / Q000737:chemistry*; D051436:Renal Insufficiency, Chronic / Q000209:etiology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D013188:Sri Lanka; D014131:Trace Elements / Q000032:analysis*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D014131:Trace Elements; D007633:Keratins
keywords: Cutaneous manifestations; Human bio-monitoring; ICP–MS; Renal disease; Scalp hair