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Biomedical subjects

K Nogawa

Publications and source records attributed to K Nogawa.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

Sister-chromatid exchanges in the lymphocytes of people exposed to environmental cadmium.

Sister-chromatid exchanges (SCEs) were analyzed from peripheral lymphocyte cultures of 8 men and 16 women who had been exposed to environmental cadmium (Cd), and 6 controls. Average Cd concentrations in blood of the Cd-polluted group were 8.9 micrograms/l for men and 10.0 micrograms/l for women. These were no significant differences in SCE rates between the Cd-polluted and nonpolluted groups. There were no significant correlations between SCE rates and blood or urinary Cd concentrations. Cadmium alone may be an insignificant agent in producing chromosomal damage to peripheral blood lymphocytes.

Aged↗

Critical concentration of cadmium in kidney cortex of humans exposed to environmental cadmium.

Cadmium (Cd) was determined in kidney cortex and liver of 173 autopsied Japanese. Subjects consisted of 51 persons from Cd-polluted areas ages between 61-94 years and 122 controls ages between 3-90 years. The mean Cd concentrations for the Cd-polluted group were 35.2 micrograms/g wet wt for kidney cortex and 66.7 micrograms/g wet wt for liver. Corresponding values for the control group aged over 60 were 90.1 and 10.7, respectively. Both liver and kidney cortex Cd were analyzed for 127 subjects (41 Cd-polluted and 86 control subjects). The kidney cortex concentration tended to increase linearly with increasing liver concentrations up to approximately 20 micrograms/g of liver Cd; above this value there was no further increase in kidney cortex level. Only three persons showed kidney cortex Cd levels above 200 micrograms/g. The lowest liver Cd levels of the Cd-polluted subjects with renal damage were around 30 micrograms/g. The critical level of kidney cortex Cd may exist below 200 micrograms/g in humans exposed to environmental Cd. The corresponding value for the liver may be below 30 micrograms/g wet wt.

Adolescent↗

Parathyroid hormone concentration in the serum of people with cadmium-induced renal damage.

Serum parathyroid hormone (PTH) and renal functions were measured in thirty subjects with cadmium-induced renal damage and in the same number of control subjects. The negative correlations between PTH and creatinine clearance (Ccr) and between PTH and percentage renal phosphorus reabsorption (% TRP) were significant in the cadmium (Cd)-exposed group. Serum PTH concentrations were clearly high in two cases of the cadmium-exposed group. Their renal functions decreased severely compared with those of the other Cd-exposed people. The present study indicates that chronic cadmium intoxication could cause increased secretions of PTH, which may be related to cadmium-induced bone damage.

Aged↗

Copper and zinc levels in serum and urine of cadmium-exposed people with special reference to renal tubular damage.

Urinary copper and zinc concentrations and their serum levels were determined in women environmentally exposed to cadmium, including "itai-itai" disease patients and suspected patients, for evaluating the effect of cadmium exposure on metabolism of such essential metals as copper and zinc in human beings. Copper concentrations in the urine of cadmium-exposed women, especially "itai-itai" patients and suspected patients, were much higher than those of nonexposed women. Zinc concentrations in the urine of cadmium-exposed women, however, were not different from those of nonexposed women. Zinc levels in the serum of the "itai-itai" patients were somewhat lower than those of the nonexposed women. On the other hand, serum copper was almost equal in the cadmium-exposed and the nonexposed women. The correlation coefficient between beta 2-microglobulin amounts and copper concentrations in the urine of all women examined was as high as 0.95. It is concluded that exposure to cadmium will cause an increase in the excretion of copper in urine, which is attributable to renal tubular damage due to the cadmium exposure, and that urinary zinc excretion is not increased by cadmium exposure, even in the patients who suffer from severe renal tubular damage.

Adult↗

Alpha 1-microglobulin in urine as an indicator of renal tubular damage caused by environmental cadmium exposure.

Alpha1-Microglobulin (alpha 1-m) was determined in the urine of both the cadmium-exposed and nonexposed subjects and was compared with those of other urinary parameters such as beta 2-microglobulin (beta 2-m), glucose, total protein or amino acids. Large amounts of alpha 1-m were detected in the urine of cadmium-exposed subjects. There were significant correlations between alpha 1-m and other urinary parameters. The sensitivity and specificity of both alpha 1-m and beta 2-m as indices of tubular dysfunction caused by cadmium was similar. It was concluded that alpha 1-m in urine seemed to be a useful indicator of renal tubular dysfunction caused by cadmium.

Aged↗

Iron concentrations in liver and kidney of cadmium-exposed human subjects.

Iron (Fe) concentrations in liver and kidney of cadmium (Cd)-exposed people (11 Itai-Itai patients, 13 persons requiring observation and 4 Cd-exposed persons) were compared with those of nonexposed people. No significant difference in Fe levels in liver was observed between the groups. This fact indicates that anaemia in environmentally Cd-exposed people was not due to iron deficiency in contrast to findings in animal experiments.

Cadmium Poisoning↗

Biologic indicators of cadmium nephrotoxicity in persons with low-level cadmium exposure.

The relationship between abnormal urinary findings and renal function was investigated for 33 Itai-Itai patients, 17 suspected patients, 235 subjects exposed to Cd and 41 subjects not exposed to Cd pollution. High correlation coefficients were observed between urinary findings and renal function in advanced cases of chronic cadmium poisoning, and multiple correlation coefficients between them are as high as 0.73 to 0.86. beta 2-microglobulin in urine also correlated closely with renal function and age in slight to moderate cases of cadmium poisoning. It is concluded that urinary findings such as proteinuria, glucosuria and low molecular weight proteinuria are good indicators of renal dysfunction in moderate to severe cases of chronic cadmium poisoning. In slight to moderate cases beta 2-microglobulin in urine has a close relation with renal dysfunction.

Absorption↗

Urinary N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase and beta 2-microglobulin in 'itai-itai' disease.

N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase (NAG) activity in urine was measured in patients with 'itai-itai' disease, from chronically advanced cadmium poisoning. Elevation of NAG activity, however, was not so marked as that of beta 2-microglobulin (beta 2-MG) in the urine of patients and suspected patients. We conclude that the beta 2-MG test is more valuable than the NAG test for evaluating the severity of the renal tubular damage in chronically advanced cadmium (Cd) poisoning.

Acetylglucosaminidase↗

The relationship between itai-itai disease among inhabitants of the Jinzu River basin and cadmium in rice.

Women over 50 years of age in 32 cadmium(Cd)-polluted and 16 nonpolluted hamlets were studied. Itai-itai disease patients and proteinuria with glucosuria were used as indices of the effect of Cd on health. Unpolished rice samples were collected from 568 households in the same area and analyzed for Cd. The hamlet's average Cd concentration in rice was used as an index of Cd exposure. A close relationship between Cd exposure and health effects was found to exist when the women were classified according to their hamlet average rice-Cd concentrations. It is demonstrated that a dose-response relationship between Cd exposure and itai-itai disease exists.

Cadmium↗

Biological half-time of cadmium in the blood of workers after cessation of exposure.

The biological half-time of cadmium in the blood of previously exposed workers was estimated after the cessation of exposure. Five men were followed for a period of 10 to 13 years. One-compartment and two-compartment exponential elimination models were used to describe the decrease in blood cadmium levels over time. The best fit to the observed data was obtained with a two-compartment model. The half-times estimated from this model ranged from 75 to 128 d for the fast component and from 7.4 to 16.0 years for the slow component. The results confirm that there is a very long whole-body biological half-time for cadmium, and the estimated half-times are similar to those obtained with different methods.

Adult↗

Urinary metallothionein as a new index of renal dysfunction in "Itai-Itai" disease patients and other Japanese women environmentally exposed to cadmium.

The significance of elevated excretion of metallothionein in urine of women living in cadmium-polluted areas of Japan was studied with respect to renal dysfunction. The relationships between the concentrations of metallothionein in urine and those of other non-specific urinary indices of renal dysfunction, i.e., total protein, glucose, beta 2-microglobulin, retinol-binding protein, alpha-amino nitrogen and proline were examined. In addition, the relationships between urinary metallothionein and urinary cadmium and copper were also evaluated. It was found that the logarithm of the metallothionein concentration in urine was significantly correlated with the logarithm of the concentrations of each of the above parameters. When subjects with signs of renal dysfunction, including "itai'itai" disease patients and patients suspected of the disease, were compared with subjects with normal renal functions, as a group, the former excreted significantly higher concentrations of metallothionein in their urine than the latter. The results suggest that the elevated excretion of metallothionein is not only an index of excessive cadmium exposure, but also of renal dysfunction caused by chronic exposure to this metal.

Aged↗

[Investigations on physiological values of blood in industrial workers. Report 2. Serum lipid values].

In order to establish the physiological values of serum lipids in healthy workers, 1,728 workers aged 35 years and over (1,035 males and 693 females) were examined after the over-night fast. Serum total cholesterol and serum triglycerides were measured by enzyme method. High density lipoprotein-cholesterols were measured by precipitation method (heparin-Mn2+) and beta-lipoprotein also by precipitation method (heparin-Ca2+). Ratios of total cholesterols to HDL-cholesterols and beta-lipoproteins to HDL-cholesterols were calculated. The results obtained are as follows: (1) Frequency distributions of 4 sorts of lipid values and 2 indices fitted approximately to the log-normal distribution. (2) High positive correlation coefficients were found between three lipid measurements, i.e. total cholesterol, triglyceride and beta-lipoprotein, in both men and women. High positive correlation coefficient was found between two ratios, total cholesterol/HDL-cholesterol and beta-lipoprotein/HDL-cholesterol. (3) Geometric means and, 5-95th percentile values in bracket were 184.5 (135-253) mg/dl for total cholesterol in men, 185.4 (139-247) mg/dl for total cholesterol in women, 84.9 (38-188) mg/dl for triglyceride in men, 71.3 (40-126) mg/dl for triglyceride in women, 47.9 (28-81) mg/dl for HDL-cholesterol in men, 51.5 (33-80) mg/dl for HDL-cholesterol in women, 348.3 (211-577) mg/dl for beta-lipoprotein in men, 306.9 (193-489) mg/dl for beta-lipoprotein in women, 3.9 (2.3-6.6) for total cholesterol/HDL-cholesterol in men, 3.6 (2.3-5.7) for total cholesterol/HDL-cholesterol in women, 7.3 (3.6-14.6) for beta-lipoprotein/HDL cholesterol in men, and 6.0 (3.1-11.7) for beta-lipoprotein/HDL-cholesterol in women. (4) Group average values of total cholesterol, triglyceride, beta-lipoprotein, total cholesterol/HDL-cholesterol and beta-lipoprotein/HDL-cholesterol tended to increase with age in women. These differences by age were statistically significant. (5) Mean values of HDL-cholesterol were higher in women than in men in all age groups.

Adult↗

[Investigations on physiological values of blood in industrial workers. Report 3. Serum colloid reaction and enzyme activity values].

The purpose of this study is establish the physiological values of serum colloid reaction and serum enzyme activities representing the liver function. 1,732 industrial workers (1,035 males aged 35-65 yr, and 697 females aged 35-60 yr) were examined by the serum zinc sulfate turbidity test (ZTT) and serum thymol turbidity test (TTT) according to the standard method of "The Japanese society of gastroenterology," serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP) by Kind-King method, serum gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (gamma-GTP) by the modified Orlowski method, and serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (GOT) and serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase (GPT) by UV method. Then frequency distributions, geometric means, several percentile values of these six laboratory data and correlations among the values were determined. The results are as follows: 1) Frequency distributions of serum ZTT, TTT, ALP, gamma-GTP, GOT, and GPT almost fitted to the log-normal distribution. 2) Geometric means and 0-95th percentile or 5-95th percentile values in bracket were 6.6 (3.7-11.7) Kunkel unit for ZTT in male, 8.2 (5.1-13.0) Kunkel unit for ZTT in female, 0.6 (0-2.8) Kunkel unit for TTT in male, 0.8 (0-2.8) Kunkel unit for TTT in female, 6.6 (4.1-10.4) King-Armstrong unit for ALP in male, 5.5 (3.2-8.9 for 49 year or less, 4.6-10.3 for 50 yr or more) King-Armstrong unit for ALP in female, 15.8 (0-45) mU/ml for gamma-GTP in male, 8.4 (0-17 for 44 yr or less, and 0-20 for 45 yr or more) mU/ml for gamma-GTP in female, 21.4 (0-39) Karmen unit for GOT in male, 20.8 (0-35) Karmen unit for GOT in female, 13.9 (0-29) Karmen unit for GPT in male, and 12.7 (0-32) Karmen unit for GPT in female. 3) Serum ZTT and TTT levels were higher in female than in male. Both ALP and gamma-GTP levels were higher in male than in female, and have become high according to aging in female. Serum level of GPT was higher in male than in female. 4) There were significant positive correlations between serum ZTT and serum TTT levels, and also between serum GOT and serum GPT levels.

Adult↗

Elevated urinary excretion of metallothionein due to environmental cadmium exposure.

Metallothionein, a low molecular weight cadmium-binding protein, has been determined for the first time in urine of "itai-itai" disease patients and other Japanese women environmentally exposed to cadmium. On a group basis, the urinary metallothionein levels of "itai-itai" disease patients and suspected patients were significantly higher than that of women living in a cadmium-polluted area. Women living in a non-polluted area excreted significantly less metallothionein than women living in a cadmium-polluted area. A similar trend was observed for urinary beta 2-microglobulin, a nonspecific index of renal tubular dysfunction. However, mean levels of urinary cadmium in the "itai-itai" disease patients, suspected patients and women living in the cadmium-polluted area were similar. It is suggested that if, in addition to beta 2-microglobulin and cadmium, metallothionein is used as another index of cadmium exposure, monitoring of renal tubular dysfunction caused by cadmium may be more effectively carried out.

Aged↗