The persistence of chronic lead nephropathy

摘要

Since its earliest description in 1863 in France by Lancereaux, chronic lead nephropathy has been recognized in diverse settings, including episodic high exposure in the workplace and continuous low-level environmental exposure.1 Later, clusters of chronic lead nephropathy cases between 1915 and 1935 were linked to childhood lead poisoning from ingestion of lead-based paint in Queensland, Australia,2'3 and during the 1950s, to lead-contaminated moonshine whiskey in the southern United States.1 Despite continued reports of chronic lead nephropathy from both occupational and nonoccupational settings,1'4'5 the role of lead in kidney disease has been controversial and some authors have even questioned the very existence of chronic lead nephropathy.