Cadmium and renal hypertension.

In our study we investigated 36 patients with renal disease, 22 of whom were hypertensive. In all proteinuria was present (4.30 +/- 5.05 g protein/day) and renal lesions were proved by renal biopsy. Blood cadmium in non-smokers was significantly (P less than 0.05) lower than in smokers. We found a positive correlation between cadmium concentrations in blood and urine (P less than 0.01, r = 0.44) and between cadmium concentration in blood and serum uric acid levels (P less than 0.01, r = 0.44). Proteinuria was weakly correlated with cadmium concentration in urine (P less than 0.05, r = 0.35). Patients with hypertension showed a significantly higher (P less than 0.05) urine cadmium excretion per day (1.60 +/- 1.12 micrograms/day compared with normotensives with disease of the kidney (1.14 +/- 1.47 micrograms/day). Our results indicate that cadmium may be involved in the development of hypertension in patients with renal disease.