Association between exposure to heavy metals and chronic kidney disease of unknown etiology in Mexico

Abstract

Introduction In the west of the State of Mexico, half of the hospital admissions for chronic kidney diseases (CKD) are people under 40 years of age, not associated with diabetes mellitus or hypertension. Objective To evaluate the association between heavy metals and kidney disease of unknown etiology in a Mexican population. Materials and methods A matched study by age and sex of 100 cases and 100 controls was performed. A questionnaire was applied to know alcohol and tobacco addiction, and exposures (food, occupational, and drug). In 50 samples and 50 controls the concentration of the metals As, Cd, Hg and Pb were determined in hair samples. Finally, a map was constructed with the housing position of the 100 patients. Results and conclusions From a bivariate logistic regression it was determined that there is a statistically significant association between CKD and smoking, occupational exposure to construction and blacksmithing, and exposure to arsenic. A larger sample is required to check occupational exposure to the paper industry, to the consumption of acetaminophen, naproxen, and cadmium. The values obtained in this work for these variables are only informative. The cases studied are located in the Rio Lerma basin, one of the most contaminated in the country. The IRCd present in the State of Mexico seems to be very similar to that of Sri Lanka and that of the Central American Pacific; therefore larger scale studies are required.