Renal dysfunction and hyperuricemia with low blood lead levels and ethnicity in community-based study

The objective of this study was to assess the correlation between blood lead levels (BLL) with both renal dysfunction and hyperuricemia among aboriginals and non-aboriginals in Taiwan. 1318 aboriginals and 1247 non-aboriginals over 40 years of age volunteered for this study. During routine health examinations at a clinic, blood samples were taken and a questionnaire was administered. Male uric acid (BUA) concentration (7.2 mg/dL) in serum was higher than for females (5.9 mg/dL). BUA concentration among aboriginals was higher (6.9 mg/dL) than among non-aboriginals (5.9 mg/dL). A test for trend of odds ratio (OR) for renal dysfunction and hyperuricemia indicated a significant correlation with BLL for both ethnic groups. Multiple logistic regression showed people who had BLLs exceeding 7.5 microg/dL were at a higher risk for renal dysfunction (OR=1.92, 95% CI: 1.18-3.10) and hyperuricemia (OR=2.72, 95% CI: 1.64-4.52). We concluded that BLL was significantly correlated with renal dysfunction and hyperuricemia in both ethnic groups. Further research is needed to investigate the exact mechanism causing a higher incidence of related disease among aboriginal Taiwanese.