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Aluminum toxicity in relation to kidney disorders
Annals of Clinical and Laboratory Science
|July 1, 1981
Summary
Aluminum toxicity in patients with chronic kidney disease can cause bone disease and brain issues. Sources include aluminum hydroxide gels and dialysis water, with exact causes still under investigation.
Area of Science:
- Nephrology
- Toxicology
- Bone Metabolism
Background:
- Aluminum toxicity is a concern for patients with chronic renal failure.
- It is linked to renal osteodystrophy and dialysis encephalopathy (DES).
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the associations between aluminum exposure and renal osteodystrophy.
- To investigate the sources of aluminum accumulation in the brain leading to DES.
Main Methods:
- Epidemiological studies of hemodialysis centers.
- Analysis of dialysate water composition (tap water vs. deionized water).
- Review of aluminum sources including phosphate-binding gels and dialysate.
Main Results:
- Aluminum hydroxide gels can cause hypophosphatemia, impairing bone mineralization.
- Aluminum absorption during hemodialysis may lead to bone deposition.
- Brain aluminum accumulation in DES patients is linked to ingested gels and/or dialysate aluminum.
- DES outbreaks correlate with increased aluminum levels in tap water used for dialysis.
Conclusions:
- Aluminum exposure presents a dual risk in chronic renal failure, affecting both bone and neurological health.
- While sources of aluminum toxicity are identified, the precise mechanisms and causative factors for DES require further elucidation.