{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,25]],"date-time":"2026-04-25T09:41:09Z","timestamp":1777110069531,"version":"3.51.4"},"reference-count":10,"publisher":"BMJ","issue":"3","content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["J Epidemiol Community Health"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[1992,6]]},"abstract":"<jats:p>STUDY OBJECTIVE--The aim was to determine the actual prevalence of liver disease and to investigate the contribution of various risk factors to liver disease among the population in a methyl mercury polluted area. DESIGN--The study was a population based cross sectional mass screening survey. A case-control study was designed to estimate the role of various risk factors for liver diseases. SETTING--The study was confined to a small rural town 10 km north of Minamata City. SUBJECTS--1406 persons aged 50 to 69 years were examined (78.3% of the total population of this age in the locality). MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS--Measurements of liver disease were made on the basis of haematological, physical, and ultrasonographic examinations. Data on liver risk factors were collected by questionnaire, and by measurement of body height, weight (obesity), and hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg). The prevalence rate of liver tumour was 0.5% in males, liver cirrhosis was found in 0.5% of males and 0.1% of females, and hepatitis was seen in 5.4% of males and 1.0% of females. Frequency rates of risk factors for liver disease among subjects with obesity were significantly higher in the female patient group, and the frequency rate among subjects with alcoholic drinking habits was significantly higher in the male patient group. The odds ratio of past history of blood transfusion showed the highest value among other related factors (7.73) and the attributable risk for this was very high (87.1%); HBsAg was next in rank (odds ratio 3.04; attributable risk 67.1%). CONCLUSIONS--The prevalence of liver disease in this methyl mercury polluted area was not increased, contrary to what was expected based on the standard mortality ratios. The main risk factors for liver disease in this area appear to be alcoholic drinking habits and a history of blood transfusion.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1136\/jech.46.3.237","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2008,11,12]],"date-time":"2008-11-12T15:10:54Z","timestamp":1226502654000},"page":"237-240","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":21,"title":["An epidemiological study with risk analysis of liver diseases in the general population living in a methyl mercury polluted area."],"prefix":"10.1136","volume":"46","author":[{"given":"M","family":"Futatsuka","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"T","family":"Kitano","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"M","family":"Nagano","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"T","family":"Inaoka","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Y","family":"Arimatsu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"T","family":"Ueno","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"J","family":"Wakamiya","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"K","family":"Miyamoto","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"239","published-online":{"date-parts":[[1992,6,1]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","first-page":"212","article-title":"Epidemiology in viral hepatisis","volume":"46","author":"Matsushita, K.","year":"1980","unstructured":"Matsushita K. Epidemiology in viral hepatisis. Naika 1980; 46: 212-22.","journal-title":"Naika"},{"key":"ref_2","article-title":"Japanese Ministry of Health and Welfare. Report on patients survey","author":"Statistics and Information Department","year":"1987","unstructured":"Statistics and Information Department. Japanese Ministry of Health and Welfare. Report on patients survey. Tokyo: Health and Welfare Statistics Association, 1987."},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1101","DOI":"10.1016\/0006-2952(71)90339-X","article-title":"Intracellular distribution of inorganic and organic mercury in rat liver after exposure to methyl mercury salts","volume":"20","author":"Norseth, T.; Brendeford, M.","year":"1971","unstructured":"Norseth T, Brendeford M. Intracellular distribution of inorganic and organic mercury in rat liver after exposure to methyl mercury salts. Biochem Pharmacol 1971; 20:1101-7.","journal-title":"Biochem Pharmacol"},{"issue":"11","key":"ref_4","first-page":"95","article-title":"Studies on mercury poisoning and antidotes against it","volume":"1960","author":"Tomii, S.","unstructured":"Tomii S. Studies on mercury poisoning and antidotes against it. J Nara Med Ass 1960; 11: 95-117.","journal-title":"J Nara Med Ass"},{"key":"ref_5","first-page":"103","article-title":"Pathology and pathogenesis of Minamata Disease","author":"Takeuchi, T.; Eto, K.","year":"1977","unstructured":"Takeuchi T, Eto K. Pathology and pathogenesis of Minamata Disease. In: Tsubaki T, Irukayama K, eds. Minamata Disease. Tokyo: Kodansha, 1977: 103-41."},{"key":"ref_6","series-title":"and justice in the Minamata Disease case. Proceedings of the International Forum on Minamata Disease","first-page":"231","article-title":"Epidemiological aspects of methyl mercury poisoning in Minamata","author":"Futatsuka, M.","year":"1988","unstructured":"Futatsuka M. Epidemiological aspects of methyl mercury poisoning in Minamata. In: Tsuru S, Miyamoto K, eds. For truth and justice in the Minamata Disease case. Proceedings of the International Forum on Minamata Disease. Tokyo: Keisho Shobo, 1988: 231-5."},{"key":"ref_7","article-title":"Recent advances in Minamata Disease studies","author":"Tsubaki, T.","year":"1986","unstructured":"Tsubaki T, Takahashi H, eds. Recent advances in Minamata Disease studies. Tokyo: Kodansha, 1986."},{"key":"ref_8","first-page":"42","article-title":"Studies on the metabolism of mercuric chloride and methyl mercury dicyanidiamide","volume":"20","author":"Friberg, L.","year":"1959","unstructured":"Friberg L. Studies on the metabolism of mercuric chloride and methyl mercury dicyanidiamide. Arch Ind Health 1959; 20: 42-50.","journal-title":"Arch Ind Health"},{"key":"ref_9","first-page":"24","article-title":"Mercury content in recognized patients and non-recognized patients exposed to methyl mercury from Minamata Bay in the last ten years","volume-title":"advances in Minamata Disease studies","author":"Takizawa, Y.","year":"1986","unstructured":"Takizawa Y. Mercury content in recognized patients and non-recognized patients exposed to methyl mercury from Minamata Bay in the last ten years. In: Tsubaki T, Takahashi K, eds. Recent advances in Minamata Disease studies. Tokyo: Kodansha, 1986: 24-39."},{"key":"ref_10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"114","DOI":"10.1016\/S0016-5085(82)80294-1","article-title":"Prognosis of hepatitis B virus surface antigen carriers pective in relation to routine liver function tests: study","volume":"83","author":"Sakuma, K.","year":"1982","unstructured":"Sakuma K. Prognosis of hepatitis B virus surface antigen carriers pective in relation to routine liver function tests: study. Gastroenterology 1982; 83: 114-7.","journal-title":"Gastroenterology"}],"container-title":["Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/syndication.highwire.org\/content\/doi\/10.1136\/jech.46.3.237","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,3]],"date-time":"2025-10-03T16:37:44Z","timestamp":1759509464000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/jech.bmj.com\/lookup\/doi\/10.1136\/jech.46.3.237"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[1992,6]]},"references-count":10,"journal-issue":{"issue":"3","published-online":{"date-parts":[[1992,6,1]]},"published-print":{"date-parts":[[1992,6]]}},"alternative-id":["10.1136\/jech.46.3.237"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1136\/jech.46.3.237","relation":{},"ISSN":["0143-005X","1470-2738"],"issn-type":[{"value":"0143-005X","type":"print"},{"value":"1470-2738","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[1992,6]]}}}