Biomonitoring of mercury in patients with complaints attributed to dental amalgam, healthy amalgam bearers, and amalgam-free subjects: a diagnostic study.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the suitability of measurements of mercury (Hg) concentration as a means of identifying patients with health complaints attributed to dental amalgam.


METHODS
Hg in erythrocytes, plasma, urine, and saliva was determined in 27 patients complaining about health problems attributed to amalgam, 27 healthy volunteers with amalgam fillings, and 27 healthy amalgam-free volunteers.


RESULTS
Concentrations of inorganic mercury in blood and of total mercury in urine and saliva differed significantly between individuals with amalgam fillings and amalgam-free volunteers, but not between symptomatic patients and healthy volunteers with amalgam fillings. Urine Hg levels tended to be better correlated with blood than with saliva data. Levels of organic Hg were equal in all groups.


CONCLUSIONS
Concentrations of total and inorganic mercury in body fluids do not distinguish between asymptomatic amalgam bearers and those who suffer from a poorly defined syndrome of multiple nonspecific symptoms.
Melchart
Dieter
D
Technical University Munich, Munich, Germany. dieter.melchart@lrz.tum.de
Köhler
Wolfgang
W
Linde
Klaus
K
Zilker
Thomas
T
Kremers
Leo
L
Saller
Reinhard
R
Halbach
Stefan
S
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D019963:Clinical Chemistry Tests / Q000379:methods; D003723:Dental Amalgam / Q000737:chemistry*; D005221:Fatigue / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D008628:Mercury / Q000097:blood* / Q000652:urine*; D008630:Mercury Poisoning / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D018908:Muscle Weakness / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D018570:Risk Assessment / Q000379:methods; D012463:Saliva / Q000737:chemistry; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012737:Sex Factors; D013054:Spectrophotometry, Atomic / Q000379:methods; D040921:Stress Disorders, Traumatic / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology
D003723:Dental Amalgam; D008628:Mercury