In search of skin lightening creams, kidneys take a hit
- April 26, 2024
- Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
- Category: DPN Topics
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In search of skin lightening creams, kidneys take a hit
Subject: Environment
Sec: Pollution
Context:
- Researchers from Kerala have reported a series of cases from Malappuram district where the regular use of fairness creams has been linked to nephrotic syndrome.
More on news:
- Heavy metal screening of the blood and urine samples of these patients revealed high levels of mercury.
- Keratin-based hair-straightening products containing glycolic acid derivatives led to severe kidney injury in women.
- Heavy metal screening of the blood and urine samples of these patients revealed high levels of mercury, the toxic effects of which are well-known.
High proteinuria:
- They all had non-specific symptoms — fatigue, mild edema and frothy urine — but high levels of proteinuria, in the range of 6.5-22.2 g/day.
- Membranous nephropathy (MN) is an autoimmune disease resulting in nephrotic syndrome, a condition when too much protein is released into the urine (proteinuria), ultimately resulting in renal failure.
- In approximately 70% to 80% of cases of MN, the target antigen has been phospholipase A-2 (PLA2R).
- Neural epidermal growth factor-like protein 1 (NELL-1), has been linked to a rare form of MN.
Fairness cream:
- The mercury levels in blood/urine samples dropped within three months of the patients stopping the use of their fairness creams.
- Also, all patients responded well to RAAS (renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system) blockade (the gold standard therapy for chronic kidney disease) and did not need immunosuppression.
Impact of mercury:
- Mercury is a highly toxic heavy metal which is used in fairness/anti-ageing creams as in its inorganic form (mercury salts) it can inhibit the formation of melanin, resulting in a lighter skin tone.
- The higher the levels of mercury in face creams, the better the whitening effect.
- The other adverse effects listed by WHO include skin discolouration and scarring, reduction in the skin’s resistance to bacterial and fungal infections, anxiety, depression, psychosis and peripheral neuropathy.
About Minamata Convention:
- The Minamata Convention on Mercury, to which India is a signatory, is a global treaty to protect human health and the environment from anthropogenic emissions and releases of mercury and mercury compounds and is in force since 2017 According to a new Zero Mercury Working Group (ZMWG) report released in October 2023.