Bone Lead Measurements in Patients with Chronic Renal Disease Studied over Time

• Published in: Archives of environmental health Vol. 47; no. 5; pp. 330 - 335
• Main Authors: Price, John, Grudzinski, Anthony W., Craswell, Peter W., Thomas, Brian J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC Taylor & Francis Group 01.09.1992; Heldref
• Subjects: Aged; Anesthesia. Intensive care medicine. Transfusions. Cell therapy and gene therapy; Biological and medical sciences; Bone and Bones - chemistry; Bone Density; Chronic Disease; Emergency and intensive care: renal failure. Dialysis management; Female; Fingers; Half-Life; Humans; Intensive care medicine; Kidney Diseases - metabolism; Lead - analysis; Lead - metabolism; Longitudinal Studies; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Parathyroid Hormone - blood; Ribs - chemistry; Skull - chemistry; Assay; Human; Follow up study; Hemodialysis; Renal failure; Lead; Ratio; Bone; Accumulation; Heavy metal
• ISSN: 0003-9896; 2331-4303
• DOI: 10.1080/00039896.1992.9938371

Results of longitudinal studies that involved the measurement of lead by different methodologies are presented for two groups of patients with chronic renal disease. Methodologies for all patients included x-ray fluorescence measurements of finger-bone lead. These measurements were conducted 5 y apart for one group of patients (n = 15). Initial measurements for the other group (n = 15) were supplemented by bone lead levels obtained either from skull at craniotomy or from skull, and sometimes rib, at autopsy. Most subjects also underwent ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (specifically CaNa 2 EDTA) lead-mobilization testing. A correlation between rate of decrease in finger-bone lead and immunoreactive parathormone levels was suggested. Renal patients were compared with age-matched controls, and their bone half-lives did not differ. The data are discussed and related to other results obtained from clinical and nonclinical populations in which trabecular and cortical bones were studied, and our results were consistent with evidence that more rapid turnover of lead occurs in trabecular bone than in cortical bone. No support was found for the hypothesis that patients who undergo renal dialysis accumulate lead in bone.