Fw: Silica Exposure Appears Causally Linked to Kidney Disease

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From: " Ilena Rose " <ilena@...>

Sent: Sunday, July 15, 2001 9:43 PM

Subject: Silica Exposure Appears Causally Linked to Kidney Disease

http://internalmedicine.medscape.com/reuters/prof/2001/07/07.10/20010709epid

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> Silica Exposure Appears Causally Linked to Kidney Disease

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> WESTPORT, CT (Reuters Health) Jul 09 - While exposure to silica has been

> associated with kidney disease previously, findings from a study conducted

> by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Atlanta, suggest

> that a causal relationship may exist.

>

> Dr. Steenland and colleagues, from the CDC's National Institute for

> Occupational Safety and Health, in Cincinnati, Ohio, assessed renal

> disease morbidity and mortality and arthritis mortality in a group of 4626

> silica-exposed workers in the industrial sand industry.

>

> Compared with a cohort from the general US population, the workers had an

> excess mortality rate from acute renal disease (standardized mortality

> ratio = 2.61), chronic renal disease (SMR = 1.61), and arthritis (SMR =

> 4.36). The incidence of end-stage renal disease, particularly

> glomerulonephritis, was also in excess of what would be expected in the

> general population. Furthermore, the incidence of end-stage renal disease

> increased as the cumulative exposure to silica increased.

>

> " These data represent the largest number of renal cases observed to date

> in a cohort study of subjects with well-documented exposure to silica, "

> the authors note in the July issue of Epidemiology.

>

> While the excess in glomerular disease cases suggests a possible immune or

> autoimmune mechanism, it is possible that silica may be directly toxic to

> the kidney, the researchers point out.

>

> " We found positive exposure-response trends...based on either morbidity or

> mortality data, " the investigators note. " These exposure-response trends

> tend to confirm a causal relation between silica exposure and subsequent

> renal disease, " they state.

>

> Epidemiology 2001;12:405-412.