Mesoamerican nephropathy

We review the pathways by which arginine vasopressin (AVP) and hydration influence the sequelae of the metabolic syndrome induced by high fructose consumption. AVP and inadequate hydration have been shown to worsen the severity of two phenotypes associated with metabolic syndrome induced by high fructose intake-enhanced lipogenesis and insulin resistance. These findings have implications for those who frequently consume sweeteners such as high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). Patients with metabolic syndrome are at higher risk for microalbuminuria and/or chronic kidney disease; however, it is difficult to discriminate the detrimental renal effects of the metabolic syndrome from those of hypertension, impaired glucose metabolism, and obesity...

Chronic kidney disease of unknown etiology [CKDu] is a condition characterized by decline in kidney function and is not associated with diabetic nephropathy or hypertensive nephropathy. In this review, we have done a detailed literature analysis on CKDu in India, and then had a comparison with that of Mesoamerica and Sri Lanka. In India, CKDu became the second most common type of CKD after diabetic nephropathy. Silica was seen in the groundwater of both India and Sri Lanka, whereas in Mesoamerica silica exposure through particulate matter was seen among CKDu communities...

The 'alarm clock' for human beings in the era of climate medicine has rung. Original diseases have appeared, that could not be explained and attributed to common causes, which are suggested to be linked to global warming and environmental factors. Such an indolent disease is the chronic kidney disease of unknown cause (CKDu), introduced also as Mesoamerican or Uddanam nephropathy. Scientists equate the climate impact on kidneys with the canary in the coal mine; coal miners used to carry caged canaries with them, so that if poisonous gases, such as methane or carbon monoxide leaked into the mine-shaft, the gases would kill the canary before killing the miners; similarly, kidneys are injured before devastating and lethal complications occur in humans...

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Amongst the many threats to health in our world, the most challenging ones are the ones with unknown causes. There is a mysterious epidemic of kidney disease called chronic kidney disease of unknown etiology (CKDu) that is occurring in many parts of the world. Unrelated to known risk factors such as diabetes and hypertension, CKDu mostly affects the young and middle-aged, with slight preponderance in males. It mostly occurs in people living in rural areas, especially working in agricultural jobs. Worldwide, the number of people with chronic kidney disease, and those who need dialysis and renal replacement, is increasing every year as compared to other chronic conditions like diabetes and AIDS...

Climate change should be of special concern for the nephrologist as the kidney has a critical role in protecting the host from dehydration, but is also a favorite target of heat stress and dehydration. Here we discuss how rising temperatures and extreme heat events may affect the kidney. The most severe presentation of heat stress is heat stroke, which can result in severe electrolyte disturbance and both acute and chronic kidney disease. However, lesser levels of heat stress also have multiple effects, including exacerbating kidney disease and precipitating cardiovascular events in subjects with established kidney disease...

Introduction: Despite much research on chronic kidney disease of uncertain etiology (CKDu) in Sri Lanka and the Mesoamerican nephropathy, the etiology and pathogenesis of this disease remains elusive. The pathology has broadly been described as chronic tubulointerstitial nephritis and no specific signature lesions have been identified. Methods: A scoping review was conducted through MEDLINE and Google Scholar databases for peer-reviewed publications on biopsy studies related to CKDu - Sri Lanka and Mesoamerican nephropathy to develop a comparative and critical analysis of the renal pathology found in these patients...

Occupational heat exposure is linked to the development of kidney injury and disease in individuals who frequently perform physically demanding work in the heat. For instance, in Central America, an epidemic of chronic kidney disease of nontraditional origin (CKDnt) is occurring among manual laborers, whereas potentially related epidemics have emerged in India and Sri Lanka. There is growing concern that workers in the United States suffer with CKDnt, but reports are limited. One of the leading hypotheses is that repetitive kidney injury caused by physical work in the heat can progress to CKDnt...

From 2000, Mesoamerican region has reached an important rate of chronic kidney disease of unknown etiology. Under the name of Meroamerican Nephropathy (MeN) several hypotheses (including dehydration, heat stress, environmental or toxic exposure or even infections) have tried to explain the etiology this new disease. MeN affects young men, agricultural workers exposed to high temperatures. MeN courses with unspecific symptoms as low-grade fever and dysuria and progressive kidney disease with impaired renal function and hydroelectrolyte disturbances...

OBJECTIVES: Nicaraguan sugarcane workers, particularly cane cutters, have an elevated prevalence of chronic kidney disease of unknown origin, also referred to as Mesoamerican nephropathy (MeN). The pathogenesis of MeN may include recurrent heat stress, crystalluria, and muscle injury with subsequent kidney injury. Yet, studies examining the frequency of such events in long-term, longitudinal studies are limited. METHODS: Using employment and medical data for male workers at a Nicaraguan sugarcane company, we classified months of active work as either work as a cane cutter or other sugarcane job and determined occurrence of dysuria, heat events and muscle events...

BACKGROUND: Mesoamerica is severely affected by an epidemic of Chronic Kidney Disease of non-traditional origin (CKDnt), an epidemic with a marked variation within countries. We sought to describe the spatial distribution of CKDnt in Mesoamerica and examine area-level crop and climate risk factors. METHODS: CKD mortality or hospital admissions data was available for five countries: Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Nicaragua and Costa Rica and linked to demographic, crop and climate data...

BACKGROUND: Epidemics of chronic kidney disease of uncertain etiology (CKDu) are occurring on the Pacific coast of Central America, in Sri Lankan and Indian agricultural communities, and in other hotspots around the world. CKDu primarily affects male agricultural workers, and traditional risk factors such as diabetes and hypertension are not involved in the pathogenesis. Although a causal factor has not yet been identified, culprits include repeated volume depletion-induced kidney injury, as well as exposure to agrichemicals, heavy metals and nephrotoxins contained in drugs, beverages, and traditional medications...

EPIDEMIOLOGY: An increasing number of inhabitants of Central America have developed a form of chronic kidney disease of unknown cause, named Mesoamerican nephropathy (MeN). Because similar epidemics have been reported in other parts of the world, such as Sri Lanka, India, Egypt, and Tunisia, this condition is currently called chronic kidney disease of uncertain origin (CKDu). CLINICAL PRESENTATION: This disease is characterized by minimal proteinuria, leukocyturia, hyperuricemia, hypokalemia reduced glomerular filtration rate, and renal tubular dysfunctions...

BACKGROUND: Although there are several hypothesized etiologies of Mesoamerican Nephropathy (MeN), evidence has not yet pointed to the underlying cause. Exposure to various trace elements can cause the clinical features observed in MeN. METHODS AND FINDINGS: We measured 15 trace elements, including heavy metals, in renal case-patients (n = 18) and healthy controls (n = 36) in a MeN high-risk region of Nicaragua. Toenails clippings from study participants were analyzed using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry...

In 2002, a report from El Salvador described a high incidence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) of unknown cause, mostly in young males from specific coastal areas. Similar situations were observed along the Pacific Ocean coastline of other Central American countries and southern Mexico (Mesoamerica). This new form of CKD has been denominated Mesoamerican endemic nephropathy (MeN). The typical presentation of MeN is a young male from an endemic area with a family history of CKD, low eGFR, high serum creatinine, low level of albuminuria, hypokalemia, hyperuricemia, and urine urate crystals...

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BACKGROUND: Studies have described Mesoamerican nephropathy among agricultural workers of El Salvador and northwestern Nicaragua. Data on prevalence and risk factors for CKD beyond agricultural workers and in other regions in Nicaragua are sparse. METHODS: We recruited participants from 32 randomly selected communities in the Department of Rivas's ten municipalities in two phases. In phase 1, we screened participants using a field-based capillary creatinine measuring system and collected self-reported information on lifestyle and occupational, exposure, and health histories...

BACKGROUND: Mesoamerican nephropathy (MeN) is a pattern of chronic kidney disease (CKD) prevalent among Central American men who work in agriculture, and its underlying cause has not been elucidated. Currently, experts hypothesize that MeN is related to repeated episodes of occupational heat stress leading to water loss and hence it is also called dehydration-associated CKD. CASE PRESENTATION: We report a case of a 40-year-old man, whose first admission to Peking Union Medical College Hospital was due to acute kidney injury (AKI)...

Mesoamerican nephropathy (MeN) is an endemic form of chronic kidney disease (CKD) that is not related to risk factors for CKD, such as diabetes and hypertension. It primarily affects men, rural and agricultural laborers, who work in an extremely hot and dry environment. The greatest increase in the prevalence of CKD, particularly since the late 1990s, has been reported in Central America and Southern Mexico, where the prevalence is almost 9 times higher than in the USA. The highest mortality associated with CKD is reported in El Salvador where a 10-fold increase was recorded in 1984-2005...

OBJECTIVES: There is an epidemic of Mesoamerican nephropathy (MeN) in Central America, where sugarcane production is prominent. Numerous causes are proposed, but to date limited evidence supports any one hypothesis. A nested case-control study using biosamples from a rural, community-based follow-up study of 350 young adults from Northwest Nicaragua at risk of MeN was conducted with the aim of characterising the associations between urinary concentrations of metals, pesticides and mycotoxins from samples collected in the first 6 months and decline in kidney function over 2 years...