Hair Analysis-Mercury testing

High-Cadmium (Cd))	Cadmium levels increase in concentration in the eye lenses of aging people and people with cataracts. Cadmium antagonizes (competes with) levels of zinc in the liver and kidneys as increased levels of Cd correlate with zinc deficiencies. Cadmium accumulates in higher concentrations in shell fish. Other sources of cadmium may include water, fertilizers, fungicides, pesticides, soil, air pollution, cigarette smoke, automobile tires, refined grains, coffee, tea, rice and soft drinks.

	Cadmium toxicity threatens and weakens the immune system and can lead to many serious health problems. Symptoms may include loss of taste and smell (resulting zinc deficiency), high blood pressure, hair loss, body odor, white spots on the finger nails, drooling, bone disorders like osteoporosis and osteomalacia, emphysema, and cancer.

	Itai-itai disease is well-known as a health hazard induced by cadmium in the cadmium-polluted areas of the Jinzu River basin in Toyama Prefecture, Japan. The main clinical features of Itai-itai disease are osteomalacia accompanied with osteoporosis, and multiple proximal renal tubular dysfunctions. For past 20 years from 1980 to 2000, 64 subjects applied for recognizing as Itai-itai disease patients to the Prefectural Government, and 54 patients have been recognized officially. A total of 184 patients have been recognized as having Itai-itai disease officially since 1967. They carried out extensive clinical examinations including renal tubular function and bone metabolism for seven patients with Itai-itai disease in 1999. Four of the seven patients have been followed-up for 10 years from 1990 to 1999. Extremely low values below 10 ml/min of glomerular filtration rate (GFR) were detected in all the four patients who were able to collect a timed urine. Two of the four patients showing decreased GFR died in 1999. Renal tubular defects persisted for lifelong and induced hypophosphatemia, hyperuricemia and hyperchloremia which are characteristic biochemical features of Itai-itai disease. When serum creatinine reached the levels of around 3 mg/dl, deterioration of anemia, increased serum phosphorus and uric acid, decreased serum calcium and alkaline phosphatase were developed. However, in cases with increased serum alkaline phosphatase even in progressive renal failure, active osteomalacia was found at the final stage of Itai-itai disease. Five cases had persistent hypophosphatemia due to high renal phosphate clearance showing low values of TmP/GFR below 1.5 mg/dl. Treatment of recombinant human erythropoietin was effective for anemia in three patients.

According to:	A LONG-TERM CLINICAL REVIEW OF PATIENTS WITH ITAI-ITAI DISEASE BETWEEN 1990 AND 1999

	Keiko AOSHIMA 1, Yun-Qing CAI 1, Jian-Jun FAN 1, Hidetoyo TERANISHI 1, Terutaka KATOH 1, Minoru KASUYA 1, and Shigetsugu HAGINO 2

	1	Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Toyama Medical & Pharmaceutical University, 2630 Sugitani, Toyama 930-0194, Japan

	2	Hagino Hospital, 587 Jyu-go cho, Fuchu-machi, Toyama 939-2737, Japan

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