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Atherosclerosis is an increasingly public health issue globally. Previous studies have showed a causal link between heavy metal exposure and atherosclerosis. However, the association of cadmium concentration with subclinical lower extremity atherosclerosis (SLEA) remains unclear. To investigate the association of blood cadmium with SLEA and its extent, and further analyze the potential dose-response relationship. Blood cadmium concentration was measured using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. SLEA and its extent were assessed by ultrasound diagnosis system. Multivariate models were applied to evaluate the association of blood cadmium with SLEA and its extent. Restricted cubic splines were performed to explore the potential dose-response relationship. This observational study consisted of 1664 participants from cardiovascular outpatient, with an average age of 62.4 years and 1218 (73.2%) men. When blood cadmium was included as a categorical variable in multivariate models, logistic regression analysis showed that high quartile in blood cadmium was an independent risk factor of SLEA (OR = 2.704, 95%CI 1.866–3.919). After log-transformed for SLEA extent parameters, linear regression analysis indicated that high quartile in blood cadmium was significantly associated with higher Crouse score (GMR = 1.21, 95%CI 1.15–1.28), plaque maximum thickness (GMR = 1.13, 95%CI 1.09–1.18) and diseased vessel count (GMR = 1.14, 95%CI 1.10–1.19), respectively. When blood cadmium was used as a continuous variable in restricted cubic splines, the dose-response relationship presented a positive progression in SLEA (P = 0.302), plaque maximum thickness (P = 0.145) and diseased vessel count (P = 0.055) apparently that did not deviate from linearity. Blood cadmium exhibited an independent association with SLEA, and this dose-response relationship was progressive without significant departure from linearity. [Display omitted] • Elevated blood cadmium is an independent risk factor for SLEA and its extent. • The correlation between blood cadmium and SLEA risk remains in never smokers. • Association of blood cadmium with SLEA does not deviate from linearity significantly. • The risk of SLEA increases monotonically when blood cadmium was over 0.69 μg/L. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A recent study reported a nonlinear and nonmonotonic relationship between urinary cadmium (U-Cd) and age and questioned the long-held view that U-Cd is a reliable biomarker of Cd body burden at low exposure levels. In order to reassess the significance of U-Cd as biomarker of Cd body burden, we studied the lifetime trend of U-Cd as functions of diuresis in a cross-sectional study. Cadmium was measured with an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (ICP-MS) for the general population taking part in the Metals and Health Survey in Jiangsu (MHSJ), China, with ages ranging from 2.8 to 86.8 years (n = 1235). Variations in U-Cd and B-Cd with age were modeled using natural cubic splines. Factors associated with U-Cd were analyzed with Pearson correlation and linear regression models. As results, nonsmoking men had peak U-Cd at approximately 60 years, after which it decreased. In nonsmoking women, U-Cd increased from 2.8 years to 50 years, then leveled off. In both genders, B-Cd increased from birth to approximately 30 years and then leveled off. U-Cd, expressed in per liter, was consistently associated with B-Cd and U-creatinine, regardless of smoking status. U-Cd and B-Cd were not significantly higher in former smokers than never smokers. Our study suggests that individual U-Cd level are correlated with B-Cd and U-creatinine, and needed to be appropriately adjusted for B-Cd and U-creatinine, when it is used for a biomarker of kidney burden of Cd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Objective: This cross-sectional study was conducted to assess the relationship between exposure to cadmium and circulating reproductive hormone levels in urban and rural male workers. Materials and Methods: Urinary cadmium, blood cadmium, luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and testosterone were obtained from 86 non-smoking traffic policemen and 86 subjects working as roadmen in a rural area. All subjects were monitored to evaluate airborne exposure to cadmium. Results: The mean value of exposure to cadmium was 1.3ngm−3 in traffic policemen, while the mean value was less than 0.5ngm−3 in roadmen. The mean concentrations of urinary cadmium (1.4 vs. 0.9μgg−1 creatinine; p =0.001), blood cadmium (1.1 vs. 0.7μgl−1; p =0.000), FSH (2.6 vs. 3.2μlUml−1; p =0.02) and LH (2.6 vs. 3.1μlUml−1; p =0.03) were significantly different between traffic policemen and roadmen. No differences were found in the mean values of testosterone between the two groups. Multiple linear regression models showed associations between (a) urinary cadmium, airborne cadmium, working life, job category and consumption of water from water supply (b) blood cadmium, airborne cadmium and job category (c) the values of FSH and age, working life, job category, urinary cadmium and blood cadmium (d) the values of LH and both the age and working life. Conclusion: The above results must be confirmed by further studies, but they indicate the influence of exposure to the cadmium present in urban air on the circulating FSH, even at low doses. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Prostate cancer associated with cadmium exposure may indicate a link between prostate specific antigen (PSA) and levels of blood cadmium (BCd) and urinary cadmium (UCd). Thus, these associations were investigated. We recruited 295 men, 50years of age and above from a health check-up program at a health center as subjects of the study. They completed a self-reported questionnaire and provided fasting samples of blood and urine for cadmium assay. The assay was performed using atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Blood samples were also collected for the assays of total cholesterol and high-density lipoprotein measures. The means of BCd and UCd increased with age and the means of all subjects were 1.19±1.04μgL−1 and 1.37±1.76μgg−1 creatinine, respectively. The PSA levels were positively associated with the lipid levels, but reversely associated with BCd and UCd levels. The multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that men with PSA⩾4.0ngmL−1 had an odds ratio (OR) of 0.4 (95% CI=0.1–0.9) to have BCd>0.49μgL−1, and an OR of 0.4 (95% CI=0.2–1.0) to have UCd>0.45μgg−1 creatinine. In conclusion, the PSA levels are reversely associated with BCd and UCd levels. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]