Nickel hypersensitivity. Nickel binding to amino acids and lymphocytes.

The nature of a protein hapten conjugate which could effect lymphocyte transformation in nickel hypersensitivity was investigated by subjecting the culture media employed to radiochromatographic analysis. Autoradiographic studies with 63Ni demonstrate direct binding of nickel salts to the lymphocyte cell surface. This occurs with a proportion of lymphocytes both from nickel sensitive and from control subjects and so binding is not of itself the stimulus for transformation.