Diagnostic value of a chelating agent in patients with symptoms allegedly caused by amalgam fillings

The chelating agent 2,3 dimercaptopropane-1-sulfonate (DMPS) has been used in a mercury mobilization test for diagnoses in illnesses allegedly associa ted with the presence of amalgam restorations. DMPS is an accepted antidote to heavy metal poisoning. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the diagnostic value of DMPS in patients with symptoms self-related to their a malgam fillings. The subjects consisted of four groups: 19 healthy controls without amalgam experience; 21 healthy controls with amalgam fillings; 20 patients who claimed symptoms of "mercury poisoning" from dental amalgam; a nd 20 patients who had amalgam fillings removed because of such symptoms. D MPS (2 mg/kg body weight) was injected intravenously, and urine was collect ed prior to the injection, 30 and 120 min after the injection, and througho ut the next 22 hrs. The samples were analyzed for total mercury by cold vap or atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The total median amounts of mercury excreted over 24 hrs for those with complaints allegedly associated with a malgam and far the healthy controls with amalgam fillings were similar. Per sons with amalgam fillings excreted about three times more mercury than tho se without. The controls, who had never had amalgam fillings, and the subje cts who had had their fillings removed excreted median amounts of 8.5 mu g and 7.2 mu g mercury, respectively. The present DMPS challenge test did not differentiate between patients with or those without complaints self-relat ed to their amalgam fillings but did confirm the higher mercury values in p atients with dental amalgam.