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Smoking-induced increase in urinary cadmium levels among Japanese women

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Abstract

Objective: To examine if cigarette smoking will induce elevation in cadmium (Cd) in urine. Methods: Information on smoking habits, and urinary levels of cadmium (Cd-U), α1-microglobulin (α1-MG), β2-microglobulin (β2-MG), creatinine (CR or cr), and urine specific gravity (SG or sg) was cited from a combination of three previously established databases on adult Japanese women. After exclusion of those with unclear answers on smoking habits (412 cases), the combination (12,846 cases) gave 11,092, 1420 and 334 cases of never, current and former smokers, respectively, for present statistical analyses. Results: Multiple regression analyses taking Cd-U as a dependent variable and 11 regions of urine collection, age and smoking habits as independent variables showed that age and regions were powerful confounders in the analysis for the effects of smoking on Cd-U. To exclude the confounding effects, current and former smokers were paired with age- and region-matched never smoking controls in subsequent analyses. In addition, former smokers were paired with age- and region-matched current smokers. The comparison of the paired cases showed that Cd-U for current smokers was significantly higher than that for never smokers. The levels for former smokers were however not higher than the levels for never smokers. When classified by the number of cigarettes consumed per day, Cd-U for current smokers increased dependently to the number of cigarettes (about 0.09 μg/cigarette/day) with leveling off at 15 or more cigarettes. There was a subtle cigarette dose-dependent increase in α1-MG, but the increase was insignificant in case of β2-MG. Estimation of the amount of Cd absorbed due to cigarette smoking followed by comparison with the increase in Cd-U suggested that almost all Cd absorbed will be excreted into urine. Conclusions: Among currently smoking Japanese women, cadmium in urine increased in a manner dependent to the number of cigarettes consumed daily. Thus, smoking is a confounder of Cd-U evaluation even among the population with relatively high dietary Cd burden.

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Acknowledgements

A part of this work was supported by research grants from the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, the Government of Japan, for the fiscal year 2003. The authors are grateful to Miss F. Ohashi for her skilful work in statistical analysis. Cooperation and support of administrations and staff of the following organizations in recruiting study participants are gratefully acknowledged; Hokkaido Industrial Health Management Fund (Sapporo), Miyagi Occupational Hygiene and Medical Association (Sendai), Kanagawa Health Service Association (Yokohama), Niigata Association of Labor Health (Niigata), Chubu Health Research Center (Iida), Kyoto Industrial Health Association (Kyoto), Chugoku Occupational Health Association (Fukuyama), Kochi General Health Service Association (Kochi), Nishinihon Occupational Health Service Center (Kitakyushu), and Okinawa General Health Service Association (Naha), Japan.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Kyoto Industrial Health Association, 67 Nishinokyo-Kitatsuboicho, Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto, 604-8472, Japan

    M. Ikeda, J. Moriguchi, T. Ezaki, Y. Fukui, H. Ukai & S. Okamoto

  2. Kyoto Women’s University, Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto, 605-8501, Japan

    S. Shimbo

  3. Occupational Health Research and Development Center, , Japan Industrial Safety and Health Association, Minato-ku, Tokyo, 108-0014, Japan

    H. Sakurai

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  1. M. Ikeda
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Correspondence to M. Ikeda.

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Ikeda, M., Moriguchi, J., Ezaki, T. et al. Smoking-induced increase in urinary cadmium levels among Japanese women. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 78, 533–540 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00420-005-0612-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00420-005-0612-z

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