Silicon-Related Syndrome In Dialysis Patients

    January 1997 in “ Nephron ”
    Leopoldo F. Saldanha, Harvey C. Gonick, Hector J. Rodriguez, Jeffrey A. Marmelzat, Eliseo V. Repique, Cathy L. Marcus
    TLDR Silicon may affect calcium metabolism in dialysis patients, causing symptoms like skin eruptions and abnormal hair growth.
    The report described two dialysis patients with significantly elevated plasma silicon levels and a presumed silicon-related syndrome, presenting symptoms such as transient hypercalcemia, painful nodular skin eruptions, and aberrant hair growth. A study of 30 dialysis patients showed moderately elevated plasma silicon levels compared to normal controls, suggesting ingestion of silicon through foods and fluids as the source. The findings indicated a weak correlation between plasma silicon and serum calcium, suggesting that silicon might affect calcium metabolism similarly to aluminum.
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