Effects of environmental cadmium exposure on liver function in adults

TY - JOUR

T1 - Effects of environmental cadmium exposure on liver function in adults

AU - Kang, Mo-Yeol

AU - Cho, Soo-Hun

AU - Lim, Youn-Hee

AU - Seo, Jeong-Cheol

AU - Hong, Yun-Chul

PY - 2013/4

Y1 - 2013/4

N2 - Background There is inconsistency regarding the effects of cadmium exposure on liver function between the positive results found in animal studies and the negative results highlighted in epidemiological studies. We investigated whether environmental cadmium exposure is associated with an elevation in serum liver enzyme activity in Korean adults. Methods This cross-sectional study evaluated adult participants without liver disease from the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey for 2008-2009. Multiple linear regression was conducted to investigate the association between blood cadmium concentration and the serum levels of aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) adjusting for age, sex, body mass index and the amount of alcohol consumption. Subjects were stratified into quartiles by their cumulative cadmium exposure rank. We estimated the multivariate-adjusted ORs for liver enzyme elevation using logistic regression models with the first quartile as the reference group. Results Total number of the subjects in the analysis was 3914. The blood cadmium concentrations were significantly associated with liver enzyme levels (AST, β=2.677, p value <0.0001; ALT, β=3.696, p value <0.0001; ALP, β=11.730, p value <0.0001). As the cadmium levels approached higher quartiles, the ORs for an elevated AST, ALT and ALP was increased significantly. Conclusions Environmental cadmium exposures are associated with an elevation in serum liver enzyme levels in Korean adults.

AB - Background There is inconsistency regarding the effects of cadmium exposure on liver function between the positive results found in animal studies and the negative results highlighted in epidemiological studies. We investigated whether environmental cadmium exposure is associated with an elevation in serum liver enzyme activity in Korean adults. Methods This cross-sectional study evaluated adult participants without liver disease from the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey for 2008-2009. Multiple linear regression was conducted to investigate the association between blood cadmium concentration and the serum levels of aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) adjusting for age, sex, body mass index and the amount of alcohol consumption. Subjects were stratified into quartiles by their cumulative cadmium exposure rank. We estimated the multivariate-adjusted ORs for liver enzyme elevation using logistic regression models with the first quartile as the reference group. Results Total number of the subjects in the analysis was 3914. The blood cadmium concentrations were significantly associated with liver enzyme levels (AST, β=2.677, p value <0.0001; ALT, β=3.696, p value <0.0001; ALP, β=11.730, p value <0.0001). As the cadmium levels approached higher quartiles, the ORs for an elevated AST, ALT and ALP was increased significantly. Conclusions Environmental cadmium exposures are associated with an elevation in serum liver enzyme levels in Korean adults.

KW - Adult

KW - Aged

KW - Alanine Transaminase/blood

KW - Alkaline Phosphatase/blood

KW - Aspartate Aminotransferases/blood

KW - Cadmium/adverse effects

KW - Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury/blood

KW - Cross-Sectional Studies

KW - Environmental Exposure/adverse effects

KW - Female

KW - Humans

KW - Linear Models

KW - Liver/drug effects

KW - Male

KW - Metals, Heavy/adverse effects

KW - Middle Aged

KW - Nutrition Surveys

KW - Odds Ratio

KW - Reference Values

KW - Republic of Korea

KW - Transaminases/blood

U2 - 10.1136/oemed-2012-101063

DO - 10.1136/oemed-2012-101063

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 23322921

SN - 1351-0711

VL - 70

SP - 268

EP - 273

JO - Occupational and Environmental Medicine

JF - Occupational and Environmental Medicine

IS - 4

ER -