SERUM AND URINE NICKEL IN NICKEL-SENSITIZED WOMEN - EFFECTS OF ORAL CHALLENGE WITH THE METAL

15 women with a positive patch test only to nickel (Ni) and without at opy and 10 control women were selected for the study. Blood and urine specimens were collected with a standard procedure either before (at 8 a.m.) or 4 and 24 h after the ingestion of 10 mg of Ni (as Ni sulfate ). 7 of the Ni-sensitized patients showed a flare-up of eczema and/or urticaria during the test, while the other women were non-symptomatic. Serum and urine Ni of controls and Ni-sensitized women did not signif icantly differ. Serum and urine Ni levels determined before the oral N i challenge were in the range of reference values recently reported by other authors (0.2-2.0 mu g/l of serum or urine). Ni was greatly augm ented in urine and serum 4 h after the challenge (25th-75th percentile s: 43-264 mu g/l urine Ni and 15-52 mu g/l serum Ni). 24 h after Ni in gestion, urine Ni was 41-153 mu g/l and serum Ni 4-17 mu g/l. Our stud y confirms a previous investigation showing similar levels of serum an d urine Ni following ingestion of the metal in control and Ni-sensitiz ed women without atopy. (C) Munksgaard, 1998.