Evaluation of calcium excretion in Brazilian infantile and young population environmentally exposed to lead

• Published in: Human & experimental toxicology Vol. 28; no. 9; p. 567
• Main Authors: Oliveira da Costa Mattos, Rita de Cássia, Xavier, Jr, Ely Caetano, Domingos Mainenti, Helena Ramirez, Mitri Nogueira, Simone, Ribeiro de Carvalho, Márcia Aparecida, Ramos Moreira, Maria de Fátima, Vargas de Carvalho, Leandro Barreto, Tabalipa, Mariane, Borges, Renato, Malizia Alves, Maria de Fátima
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England 01-09-2009
• Subjects: Adolescent; Brazil; Calcium - metabolism; Calcium - urine; Child; Child, Preschool; Creatinine - urine; Environmental Exposure - analysis; Environmental Pollutants - analysis; Environmental Pollutants - blood; Environmental Pollutants - urine; Female; Humans; Infant; Lead - analysis; Lead - blood; Lead - urine; Male; Nutritional Status; Social Class; Brazil
• ISSN: 1477-0903
• DOI: 10.1177/0960327109102804

Lead exposure is an important issue in the research of several toxic effects resulting from the biochemical interaction between this metal and the organism. Calcium is a fundamental mineral for the maintenance of the organism homeostasis where there is interaction between lead and calcium in metabolic pathways. Environmental lead exposure by verifying the usefulness and applicability of urinary calcium/creatinine ratio (UCa/Cr) in this context was evaluated. This was an extensive socio-demographic study of the nutritional profile, lead exposure biomarkers in blood and the urine and UCa/Cr ratio. The children studied were from a low socio-economic group characterized by unsatisfactory nutritional diet. Lead environmental exposure was shown by biomarkers, with UCa/Cr ratio having positive and significant correlations with both lead and delta-aminolevulinic acid in urine (ALA-U), without colinearity diagnosis. There was a strong association between calcium excretion and lead exposure as a result of linear regression construction models. In children, lead increases calcium excretion which is an additional risk to infantile health. Urinary calcium/creatinine ratio may be a useful tool in the biological monitoring of lead exposure and health promotion programs.