Exposure to cadmium and lead is associated with diabetic kidney disease in diabetic patients

Cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb) exhibit nephrotoxic activity and may accelerate kidney disease complications in diabetic patients, but studies investigating the relation to diabetic kidney disease (DKD) have been limited. We aimed to examine the associations of Cd and Pb with DKD in diabetic patients.

3763 adults with blood metal measurements and 1604 adults with urinary ones who were diabetic from National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2007–2016 were involved. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to analyze the associations of blood Cd (BCd), blood Pb (BPb), urinary Cd (UCd), and urinary Pb (UPb) with DKD.

BPb, BCd, and UCd levels were higher among participants with DKD than diabetics without nephropathy, but UPb performed the opposite result. BPb and UCd were significantly associated with DKD in the adjusted models (aOR, 1.17 (1.06, 1.29);1.52 (1.06, 2.02)). Participants in the 2nd and 3rd tertiles of BPb and BCd levels had higher odds of DKD, with a significant trend across tertiles, respectively (all P-trend < 0.005). Multiplication interaction was also identified for BPb and BCd (P for interaction = 0.044).

BPb, BCd, and UCd were positively associated with the risk of DKD among diabetic patients. Furthermore, there were the dose-response relationship and multiplication interaction in the associations of BPb, BCd with DKD.