Environmental nickel pollution: does it protect against nickel allergy?
The Norwegian-Russian border area is polluted because of emissions from two local Russian nickel refineries. We patch tested the general adult population on both sides of the border. Only 7.2% of the Russian women were sensitized to nickel, compared with 27.5% of the Norwegian women. We suggest that long-term exposure to nickel may have induced immunologic tolerance in the Russian population.
Smith-Sivertsen
Tone
T
Department of Public Health and Primary Health Care, University of Bergen, Ulriksdal 8c, N-5009 Bergen, Norway. Tone.Smith-Sivertsen@isf.uib.no
Tchachtchine
Valeri
V
Lund
Eiliv
E
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D004787:Environmental Pollution; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006967:Hypersensitivity / Q000276:immunology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009532:Nickel / Q000276:immunology; D009664:Norway; D012426:Russia; D012882:Skin Tests
D009532:Nickel