ArticleBMJ open2019
Prevalence of rheumatoid arthritis in relation to serum cadmium concentrations: cross-sectional study using Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) data.
Article in BMJ open, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 16 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
16 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 36 citations in OpenAlex.
- Exposure to Occupational Inhalants and the Risk of Developing Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Arthritis & rheumatology (Hoboken, N.J.) · 2026Pooled it
- Trace Elements-Role in Joint Function and Impact on Joint Diseases.International journal of molecular sciences · 2025Review
- The Therapeutic Potential of Phytochemicals Unlocks New Avenues in the Management of Rheumatoid Arthritis.International journal of molecular sciences · 2025Review
- Occupational dust and chemical exposures and the development of autoimmune rheumatic diseases.Nature reviews. Rheumatology · 2025Review
- Therapeutic potential ofVeterinary world · 2025Article
- Toxic metals in rheumatological diseases: A systematic review.Northern clinics of Istanbul · 2025Article
- Environmental pollution impact on the severity of some rheumatic diseases: a comparative analytical study on inflammatory and non-inflammatory samples.BMC rheumatology · 2024Article
- Contributions of Synthetic Chemicals to Autoimmune Disease Development and Occurrence.Current environmental health reports · 2024Review
- Environmental pollutants and phosphoinositide signaling in autoimmunity.Journal of hazardous materials · 2024Review
- Maternal seafood intake, dietary contaminant exposure, and risk of juvenile idiopathic arthritis: exploring gene-environment interactions.Frontiers in immunology · 2024Article
- Analyzing the impact of heavy metal exposure on osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis: an approach based on interpretable machine learning.Frontiers in nutrition · 2024Article
- Article
- Cadmium Body Burden and Inflammatory Arthritis: A Pilot Study in Patients from Lower Silesia, Poland.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022Article
- Highlights of Strategies Targeting Fibroblasts for Novel Therapies for Rheumatoid Arthritis.Frontiers in medicine · 2022Review
- Zinc and Cadmium in the Aetiology and Pathogenesis of Osteoarthritis and Rheumatoid Arthritis.Nutrients · 2020Review
- Mercury Is Taken Up Selectively by Cells Involved in Joint, Bone, and Connective Tissue Disorders.Frontiers in medicine · 2019Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
4 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectivesIt has been suggested that exposure to heavy metal cadmium (Cd) may contribute to a high risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis (RA). This study was to investigate the association of RA prevalence and serum concentrations of Cd and other heavy metals through large survey data analysis.
designA retrospective cross-sectional survey study.
settingLarge population survey in Korea.
participants53 829 subjects participated in Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) from 2008 to 2013.
interventionsHeavy metals were measured in different time periods of the survey programme which resulted in three different data sets for analysis: Cd, mercury (Hg) and lead (Pb) from 2008 to 2012 survey; serum manganese (Mn) and urine arsenic (As) from 2008 to 2009 survey; and serum zinc (Zn) from 2010 survey. RA prevalence and its associations with serum heavy metals were analysed using a general linear/logistic regression model of complex sample design.
resultsSerum Cd was elevated in patients with RA (RA vs control: 1.30±0.07 µg/L vs 1.17±0.01 µg/L, p<0.01). There were no significant differences in urine levels of As or serum levels of Pb, Hg, Mn or Zn between patients with RA and controls. OR (95% CI) of RA prevalence according to 1 µg/L increase of serum Cd level was 1.28(95% CI 1.03 to 1.61). Prevalence of RA in women was increased with increasing quartiles of Cd levels, with a 19-fold difference in female RA prevalence between individuals in the lowest quartile of serum Cd level and those in the highest quartile (0.18% vs 3.42%). Cubic spline curve of prevalence OR showed increased risk of RA according to increased serum Cd level. Increased risk of RA in men was not observed with increased serum Cd levels.
conclusionThere was an increased prevalence of RA in females associated with increased serum levels of Cd in the Korean population.
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