Abstract
Lead is suspected to contribute to the progression of kidney disease. Lead content of blood and deciduous teeth was determined in 22 children aged 5–14 years at different stages of chronic renal failure (CRF). In addition, individual lead exposure was estimated from histories. The results were compared with a control group of 20 siblings or neighbours of patients living in the same environment (C1), and to a group of children known to be free of excessive lead exposure (C2). The mean blood lead concentration of patients was normal (mean 2.9 μg/dl, range 1.1.–10.1). Mean dental lead content was 2.8, 1.7 and 1.4 μg/g in CRF, C1 and C2, respectively. It always exceeded that of healthy peers. Increased dental lead content was associated with a high risk of exposure. It is suggested that both an increased lead uptake and renal dysfunction may contribute to the increased lead burden in children with CRF.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
Henderson DA (1954) A follow-up of cases of plumbism in children. Australas Ann Med 3: 219–224
Emmerson BT (1973) Chronic lead nephropathy. Kidney Int 4: 1–5
Bennet WM (1985) Lead nephropathy. Kidney Int 28: 212–220
Ritz E, Mann J, Stoeppler M (1988) Lead and the kidney. Adv Nephrol 17: 241–274
Inglis JA, Henderson DA, Emmerson BT (1978) The pathology of chronic lead nephropathy occurring in Queensland. J Pathol 124: 65–76
Craswell PW, Lloyd HM, Price J, Thomas BJ, Boyle PD, Thomas BW, Heazlewood VJ, Williams GM, Baddeley H (1986) Chronic lead nephropathy in Queensland: alternative methods and diagnosis. Aust NZ J Med 16: 11–19
Vyver FL van de, d'Hease PC, Visser WJ (1988) Bone lead in dialysis patients. Kidney Int 33: 601–607
Winterberg B, Fischer R, Dorst KG, Korte R, Zumkley H, Bertram HP (1989) Knochenblei- und Knochen-Aluminiumgehalte bei verschiedenen Graden der Niereninsuffizienz. Nieren-Hochdruckkr 18: 249–253
Batuman V, Landy E, Maesaka JK, Wedeen RP (1983) Contribution of lead to hypertension with renal impairment. N Engl J Med 309: 17–21
Koster J, Erhardt M, Stoeppler M, Mohl C, Ritz E (1989) Mobilizable lead in patients with chronic renal failure. Eur J Clin Invest 19: 228–233
Sampson B, Curtis JR, Davies S (1989) Survey of blood and plasma aluminium concentrations in patients of a renal unit. Nephrol Dial Transplant 4: 375–381
Colleoni N, D'Amico G (1986) Chronic lead accumulation as a possible cause of renal failure in gouty patients. Nephron 44: 32–35
Mashak P, Davis JM, Crocetti AF, Grant LD (1989) Prenatal and postnatal effects of low-level lead exposure: integrated summary of a report to the U. S. congress on childhood lead poisoning. Environ Res 50: 11–36
Needleman HL, Schell A, Bellinger D, Leviton A, Allred EN (1990) The long-term effects of exposure to low doses of lead in childhood. N Engl J Med 322: 83–88
Brockhaus A, Collet W, Dolgner R, Engelke R, Ewers U, Freier I, Jermann E, Krämer U, Manojlovic N, Turfeld M, Winneke G (1988) Exposure to lead and cadmium of children living in different areas of North-West Germany: results of biological monitoring studies 1982–1986. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 60: 211–222
Moel DI, Sachs HK, Cohn RA, Drayton MA (1985) Renal function 9 to 17 years after childhood lead poisoning. J Pediatr 106: 729–733
Paterson L, Raab GM, Hunter R, Laxen DPH, Fulton M, Fell GS, Hall DJ, Sutcliffe P (1988) Factors influencing lead concentrations in shed deciduous teeth. Sci Total Environ 74: 219–233
Ewers U, Turfeld M, Freier I, Ferger S, Brockhaus A (1990) Levels of lead and cadmium in deciduous teeth of children living in two different areas of West Germany. Chronological trend 1976–1988 (in German). Zentralbl Hyg 189: 333–351
Rabinowitz MB, Leviton A, Bellinger DC (1989) Blood lead-tooth lead relationships among Boston children. Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 43: 485–492
Lehnert G, Szadowski D (1983) Die Bleibelastungen des Menschen, 1st edn. Verlag Chemie, Weinheim, pp 44–46
Stoeppler M, Brandt K, Rains TC (1978) Rapid method for the automated determination of lead in whole blood by electrothermal atomic absorption spectro-photometry. Analyst 103: 714–722
Veits G (1989) Bleibelastung niereninsuffizienter Kinder. Thesis, University of Heidelberg
Bellinger D, Leviton A, Waternau C, Needleman H, Rabinowitz M (1987) Longitudinal analyses of prenatal and postnatal lead exposure and early cognitive development. N Engl J Med 316: 1037–1043
Aviv A, John E, Bernstein J, Goldsmith D, Spitzer A (1980) Lead intoxication during development: its late effects on kidney function and blood pressure. Kidney Int 17: 430–437
Tange JD, Hayward NJ, Bremner DA (1965) Renal lesions in experimental plumbism and their clinical implications. Aust Ann Med 14: 49–56
Rosen JF, Chesney RW, Haustra A, De Luca HF, Mahaffey KR (1980) Reduction in 1,25 dihydroxyvitamin D in children with increased lead absorption. N Engl J Med 302: 1128–1131
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Schärer, K., Veits, G., Brockhaus, A. et al. High lead content of deciduous teeth in chronic renal failure. Pediatr Nephrol 5, 704–707 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00857878
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00857878