Heikki Savolainen, Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, Tampere, Finland
16 July 2012
Dear Editor,
This very comprehensive review summarizes cogently the large literature on the cadmium toxicity.
I would like to highlight one of the fundamental mechanisms of its toxicity which is its intereference with proteoglycan metabolism in lungs and in kidney. Consequently, the occupational exposure to cadmium fumes is associated with lung and kidney damage (1)
The effect on the urinary proteoglycans becomes apparent at the urinary Cd content of 3 µg / g creatinine (2). This value is not much higher than detected in heavy smokers (upto 2 µg/litre).
Cadmium effects
16 July 2012
Dear Editor,
This very comprehensive review summarizes cogently the large literature on the cadmium toxicity.
I would like to highlight one of the fundamental mechanisms of its toxicity which is its intereference with proteoglycan metabolism in lungs and in kidney. Consequently, the occupational exposure to cadmium fumes is associated with lung and kidney damage (1)
The effect on the urinary proteoglycans becomes apparent at the urinary Cd content of 3 µg / g creatinine (2). This value is not much higher than detected in heavy smokers (upto 2 µg/litre).
1 Savolainen H. Cadmium-associates renal disease. Renal Fail 1995; 17: 483
2 Savolainen H. Studies on urinary proteoglycan excretion in occupational cadmium exposure.
Pharmacol Toxicol 1994; 75: 113
Competing interests
None