BACKGROUND: The north-Norwegian population of Sør-Varanger lives close to 2 Russian nickel smelters. OBJECTIVE: We studied the importance of the local nickel pollution, as well as ear piercing and atopic dermatitis, on the prevalence of nickel allergy in Sør-Varanger. METHODS: We patch-tested 1767 adults who were randomly selected from 2 different cross-sectional studies; in Sør-Varanger and the reference city of Tromsø, which has no nickel-polluting industry. RESULTS: Nickel allergy was diagnosed in 27.5% and 31.1% of the women in Sør-Varanger and Tromsø, respectively, and in 5.1% and 5.0% of the men. In women, ear piercing was a strong risk factor (relative risk = 3.30; 95% confidence interval = 2.01 to 5.43). A history of atopic dermatitis was not associated with nickel sensitization. We found no increased risk of nickel allergy in Sør-Varanger compared with Tromsø in adjusted multivariate analyses. CONCLUSION: The high prevalence of nickel allergy found in Sør-Varanger could not be attributed to pollution from the nearby nickel industry.
BACKGROUND: The north-Norwegian population of Sør-Varanger lives close to 2 Russian nickel smelters. OBJECTIVE: We studied the importance of the local nickel pollution, as well as ear piercing and atopic dermatitis, on the prevalence of nickelallergy in Sør-Varanger. METHODS: We patch-tested 1767 adults who were randomly selected from 2 different cross-sectional studies; in Sør-Varanger and the reference city of Tromsø, which has no nickel-polluting industry. RESULTS:Nickelallergy was diagnosed in 27.5% and 31.1% of the women in Sør-Varanger and Tromsø, respectively, and in 5.1% and 5.0% of the men. In women, ear piercing was a strong risk factor (relative risk = 3.30; 95% confidence interval = 2.01 to 5.43). A history of atopic dermatitis was not associated with nickel sensitization. We found no increased risk of nickelallergy in Sør-Varanger compared with Tromsø in adjusted multivariate analyses. CONCLUSION: The high prevalence of nickelallergy found in Sør-Varanger could not be attributed to pollution from the nearby nickel industry.
Authors: Jan Manousek; Vera Stejskal; Petr Kubena; Jiri Jarkovsky; Petr Nemec; Petr Lokaj; Ludmila Dostalova; Andrea Zadakova; Marie Pavlusova; Klara Benesova; Petr Kala; Roman Miklik; Jindrich Spinar; Jiri Parenica Journal: PLoS One Date: 2016-11-08 Impact factor: 3.240
Authors: Marie L A Schuttelaar; Robert F Ofenloch; Magnus Bruze; Simone Cazzaniga; Peter Elsner; Margarida Gonçalo; Luigi Naldi; Åke Svensson; Thomas L Diepgen Journal: Contact Dermatitis Date: 2018-04-10 Impact factor: 6.600