Question

Where was the painful bone disease itai-itai reported first?
(a) Britain
(b) India
(c) Japan
(d) USA

Answer 1

Hint: The word "itai-itai disease" was coined by locals for the extreme pains that people with the condition felt in the spine and joints. It was the name given to Toyama Prefecture's mass cadmium poisoning. Poisoning with cadmium can also cause bone softening and failure of the kidneys.

Complete answer:
The painful bone disorder caused by cadmium poisoning is Itai-Itai. A large amount of cadmium was released into the rivers by the mining companies in Toyama Prefecture in Japan around 1912. Contaminated water ingestion resulted in discomfort in the neck and joints, as well as kidney failure. Clinical characteristics Itai-itai disease is known to be a form of acquired Fanconi syndrome characterized by renal tubular dysfunction and osteomalacia and has been observed for more than 30 years in cadmium-polluted areas in middle-aged and elderly women with relatively regular pregnancy. Weak and brittle bones are one of the key consequences of cadmium toxicity. Spinal and leg pain is normal, and due to bone deformities induced by cadmium, a waddling gait also occurs. The pain gradually becomes unbearable, as the bone weakens, with fractures becoming more common. In bones, permanent deformation may occur.

Additional information: Coughing, anemia, and kidney failure, resulting in death, are other complications. A marked prevalence has been observed in older, postmenopausal women. The origin of this phenomenon is not well known and is under investigation at present. As well as low calcium metabolism linked to the age of women, current research has pointed to general malnutrition. It has been shown in recent animal studies that cadmium poisoning alone is not sufficient to evoke all the symptoms of the itai-itai disease. These reports point to the damage caused by cadmium to the mitochondria of kidney cells as a contributing factor in the disease.
So, the correct answer is ‘(c) Japan’.

Note: Any person with Cd-Poisoning has to seek urgent medical assistance. Cadmium (Cd) detoxification is possible with EDTA (Ethylene Diamine TetraAcetate) and other chelators. Chelators that are clinically available include EDTA, DMPS, DMSA, and British Anti-Lewisite (BAL). BAL is more toxic and less used clinically than its derivatives, DMPS, and DMSA. Urinary excretion of Cd is enhanced by EDTA, DMPS, and DMSA. In vitro and in vivo studies indicate that in mobilizing intracellular Cd, EDTA is superior to DMSA. It is most widely known for clinical use, as EDTA is approved by the FDA for lead and other heavy metals and has a long history of safe use. Usage of chelators such as those that have been shown to be therapeutically beneficial to humans and animals by using proven protocols.