Association of environmental cadmium exposure and bone remodeling in women over 50 years of age

• Published in: Ecotoxicology and environmental safety 2021-03, Vol.211, p.111897, Article 111897
• Main Authors: Lv, Ying-Jian, Song, Jia, Xiong, Li-Li, Huang, Rui, Zhu, Pan, Wang, Ping, Liang, Xu-Xia, Tan, Jian-Bin, Wang, Jing, Wu, Shi-Xuan, Wei, Qin-Zhi, Yang, Xing-Fen
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Alkaline Phosphatase; Biomarkers - blood; Body Mass Index; Bone and Bones; Bone Density; Bone Remodeling; Cadmium - blood; Cadmium exposure; Collagen Type I; Environmental Exposure - statistics & numerical data; Environmental Pollutants - blood; Female; Humans; Middle Aged; Osteoporosis - blood; Osteoprotegerin; Peptides; RANK Ligand - blood; Renal function; Serum β-CTX
• ISSN: 0147-6513; 1090-2414
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2021.111897

Chronic cadmium (Cd) toxicity is a significant health concern, and the mechanism of long-term low-dose Cd exposure on bone has not been fully elucidated yet. This study aimed to assess the association between long-term environmental Cd exposure and bone remodeling in women who aged over 50. A total of 278 non-smoking subjects from Cd-polluted group (n = 191) and non-Cd polluted group (n = 87) were investigated. Bone mineral density (BMD), the levels of three bone turnover markers (BTMs), including total procollagen type 1 amino-terminal propeptide (P1NP), collagen type 1 cross-linked C-telopeptide (β-CTX), bone-specific alkaline phosphatase (BALP), together with serum soluble receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB ligand (sRANKL) and osteoprotegerin (OPG) were determined. Early markers of renal dysfunction were measured as well. Urinary Cd concentrations ranged from 0.41 to 87.31 μg/g creatinine, with a median of 4.91 μg/g creatinine. Age, BMD, T-score, and prevalence of osteoporosis showed no statistical differences among the quartiles of urinary Cd concentrations, while serum levels of P1NP, β-CTX, and OPG were higher in the upper quartiles. Multivariate linear regression models indicated significantly positive associations of urinary Cd concentration with serum levels of P1NP, β-CTX, BALP, sRANKL, and OPG. A ridge regression analysis with T-score and the three BTMs, sRANKL, and OPG, adjusted for age and body mass index (BMI), indicated that except for age and Cd exposure, β-CTX was a predictor of T-score. These findings demonstrated that Cd may directly accelerate bone remodeling. Serum β-CTX might be an appropriate biochemical marker for evaluating and monitoring Cd-related bone loss. Capsule: Cadmium (Cd) may directly accelerate bone remodeling and serum β-CTX is a valuable biochemical marker for evaluating Cd-related bone loss. •Cd may directly induce bone remodeling;•Serum β-CTX was a good indicator of Cd-related bone damage; and•The skeletal toxicity of Cd might be parallel to nephrotoxicity.