Itai-itai disease is caused by

Concept

Chronic exposure to toxic metals can produce characteristic syndromes because different metals preferentially damage particular organs.

The disease is identified by matching the exposure agent with its characteristic target-organ effects, not merely by recognizing that the agent is toxic.

Application

1. Itai-itai disease was associated with long-term dietary exposure to cadmium in polluted areas of Japan.

2. Cadmium accumulates mainly in the kidneys and damages renal tubules, increasing the loss of minerals needed for bone maintenance.

3. The resulting osteomalacia and severe bone pain produced the clinical syndrome called Itai-itai disease.

Contrast

• Mercury poisoning is classically associated with Minamata disease and prominent neurological injury.

• Excess iron is associated with iron-overload disorders such as hemochromatosis, which can damage the liver, heart, and other organs.

• The compound choices assert either multiple listed causes or no listed cause; the specific toxic-metal association identifies a single listed substance.

Cross-check

The characteristic pair is cadmium exposure with kidney injury and osteomalacia; therefore the answer is cadmium.