Chronic kidney disease (CKD) affects over 15 % of the adults in the United States. Pregnant women with CKD present an additional challenge in that they are at increased risk for adverse events such as preterm birth. Exposure to environmental toxicants, such as methylmercury, may exacerbate maternal disease and increase the risk of adverse fetal outcomes. We hypothesized that fetuses of mothers with CKD are more susceptible to accumulation of methylmercury than fetuses of healthy mothers. The current data show that when mothers are in a state of renal insufficiency, uptake of mercury in fetal kidneys is enhanced significantly. Accumulation of Hg in fetal kidneys may be related to the flow of amniotic fluid, maternal handling of Hg, and/or underdeveloped mechanisms for cellular export and urinary excretion. The results of this study indicate that renal insufficiency in mothers leads to significant alterations in the way toxicants such as mercury are handled by maternal and fetal organs.

中文翻译：

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孕妇的慢性肾脏疾病会影响母体和胎儿体内汞的处置。

在美国，慢性肾脏病（CKD）影响超过15％的成年人。患有CKD的孕妇面临着另一项挑战，因为她们患早产等不良事件的风险增加。接触甲基汞等环境毒物可能会加剧孕产妇疾病并增加胎儿不良结局的风险。我们假设CKD母亲的胎儿比健康母亲的胎儿更容易积聚甲基汞。当前数据显示，当母亲处于肾功能不全状态时，胎儿肾脏中汞的吸收会显着增加。胎儿肾脏中Hg的积累可能与羊水流量，母亲对Hg的处理和/或细胞出口和尿排泄机制不完善有关。