Context: Urinary cadmium (Cd) excretion is associated with cancer and cardiovascular morbidity. A potential mechanism could be disturbance of steroidogenesis in gonads and adrenal glands.
Objective: We tested whether urinary excretion of Cd is correlated with that of cortico- and sex steroid metabolites in the general adult population.
Setting: The Swiss Kidney Project on Genes in Hypertension is a multicentric, family-based population study.
Measures: Urinary excretions of steroid hormone metabolites and Cd were measured with separate day and night collections. Associations were analyzed by mixed linear models.
Results: Urinary Cd and testosterone excretions in men were significantly correlated (respective day and night β values [standard error (SE)], 1.378 [0.242], P < 0.0005; and 1.440 [0.333], P < 0.0005), but not in women [0.333(0.257), P = 0.2; and 0.674 (0.361), P = 0.06]. Urinary Cd and cortisol excretions were positively associated in both sexes [day: β = 0.475 (SE, 0.157), P = 0.0025, and 0.877 (SE, 0.194), P < 0.0005, respectively; night: β = 0.875 (SE, 0.253), P < 0.0005 and 1.183 (SE, 0.277), P = 0.00002, respectively]. Cd excretion was correlated with mineralocorticoid metabolites excretion, except tetrahydroaldosterone, in both sexes (P < 0.01). There was an independent effect of Cd on sex hormone and corticosteroid synthesis and an interdependent effect on gluco- and mineralcorticoid production.
Conclusion: Our findings provide evidence for a global stimulating effect on steroid synthesis already at low-dose Cd exposure. These findings might explain the association of Cd with diseases such as steroid-sensitive cancers or metabolic disorders.
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