Nickel puzzle

[Guest guest]

Hi Everyone,

If you like to figure out puzzles, I have one for you: the puzzle of nickel.

I've often wondered about nickel because in the Periodic Table of Elements

nickel resides just to the left of copper. As I've previously noted and

speculated on, it seems that elements that are right next to each other have

effects on each other. I've wondered if nickel has any effects on copper, and

thereby might influence thyroid diseases.

In researching diabetes I came across a study which indicated that nickel

chloride can prevent streptozotocin-induced diabetes. Diabetes is a disease

of low insulin production or effect and nickel seems to stimulate insulin

production and thereby prevents the hyperglycemia of diabetes. Since I was

researching the effects of copper upon insulin production and diabetes, I

thought this was interesting.

I looked up nickel in the Nutrition Almanac and found that not only is nickel

an essential nutrient, but it is involved with B-12 metabolism and with iron

metabolism. B-12 of course is the cobalt containing vitamin and cobalt is

immediately to the left of nickel in the Periodic Table. Just to the left of

cobalt is iron. Even more interesting.

I started researching nickel by looking up in Medline " nickel and thyroid "

and found basically nothing. I looked up " nickel and copper " --not much. Then

" nickel and collagen " -- (I was getting desparate) and still nothing. And

then I looked up " nickel and hair " (getting really desparate) and found a ton

of studies about hairdressers who get nickel-induced contact dermatitis.

Interestingly, many of these studies were from Europe and most of these from

Germany and the areas around there. Apparently a very high percentage of

hairdressers develop an eczema of the hands from something in their work. I

was intrigued, especially since copper and zinc are involved in the health of

the skin. (Zinc of course is just to the right of copper in the Periodic

Table.)

Next I looked up " nickel and dermatitis " and was rewarded with over 900

studies. Nickel-induced dermatitis is not only a very large world-wide

problem, but it is very interesting in another very interesting way: it's

mostly a condition which affects women, in a ratio of about 10 to 1 over men.

This was very interesting because that's the same ratio in hyperthyroidism.

There are studies correlating nickel with eczema, dermatitis, psoriasis,

vitiligo, and other skin diseases. Women hairdressers get these dermatitis

conditions, but rarely do men in the same profession get it. In Europe almost

half of hairdresser trainees quit training because of this problem. Also,

medical workers are afflicted with the same type of nickel sensitivity and

dermatitis. People who donate blood can get it too.

What is the cause? Many studies done all over the world have shown that it

is the exposure to nickel-plated instruments that causes this nickel

sensitivity. The nickel-plated scissors and other implements of the

hairdressers, the nickel-plated medical instruments, and the nickel-plated

blood gather instruments in the blood banks have been implicated.

Why is it that mainly only women get these nickel-caused diseases? Two

reasons: first, it appears that people get high amounts of nickel into their

bodies from wearing jewelry and women wear much more jewelry than men. All

jewelry, including silver, gold, and white gold contains nickel which the

wearer absorbs when the skin in sweaty. In tropical areas, the problem is

worse because of the increased amount of sweating. In Nigeria, nickel is the

number one cause of dermatitis. And the greatest source of nickel in women is

from pierced ears--the studs are nickel plated. I believe (please correct me

if I'm wrong) that the studs are plated with nickel because nickel keeps the

holes open and prevents the ear from healing and closing the hole.

The second reason that mostly women are affected by nickel is that there is a

sexual difference between males and females. Males can excrete nickel much

faster than females and can recover from the effects faster than females.

Consequently, females get more nickel-caused damage than males, especially to

the liver and kidneys. Also, the nickel effect increases in pregnancy. This

sexual difference is found in humans and many other animal species including

rats, mice, and rabbits. I don't know what causes this sexual difference but

it has a very intriguing parallel with thyroid diseases.

How do people come into contact with nickel? Studies have documented

dermatitis and other skin diseases from: eyeshadow, nickel-plated eyelash

curlers, eye pencil, and contact lens solution for a start. Notice that all

these sources are eye related. Remember the eye involvement in Grave's

disease (which affects mainly women). If there is any connection to

nickel......

The list of documented sources continues: cosmetics, skin-lightening creams,

well-water (only in rare areas), coins (money handlers such as banking clerks

and retail workers), hydrogenated fats (nickel is used as a catalyst and

remains in the fat), fertilizers, chalk (teachers), cement (to make

concrete--cement causes dermatitis which may be nickel-induced), stainless

steel (including stainless steel cookware), eyeglasses (nickel plated

eyeglasses cause psoriasis behind the ears--this may be the cause of my

psoriasis behind my ear), chocolate (nickel-plated processing equipment), and

(possibly) orthodontic braces (the evidence isn't clear). I only went through

about 200 of the over 900 studies so there may be many other sources.

Nickel dermatitis is such a serious problem in Europe, that in 1996 a

European Union law was passed regulating the amount of nickel which can be

used in plating instruments, in jewelry, in orthodontic equipment and braces,

etc.

Studies show that the major way that people get nickel into their bodies is

through the diet. Apparently high ingestion of nickel along with nickel

contact increases the body stores of nickel and this is what causes the body

to become sensitive to nickel contact. Interestingly, nickel-contact

dermatitis can be relieved by going on a diet which contains low amounts of

nickel. Nickel is found in foods such as: hydrogenated fats or trans fatty

acids such as margarine; canned vegetables, sugars, and preserves; chocolate;

commercial peanut butter; breads; and cereals. It appears that nickel plated

processing equipment and cans may be the major contributors.

Now that you've seen some information about nickel, what do you think? Since

it looks like no one has studied the effects of nickel on the thyroid hormones

we have to guess what's going on. Does nickel interact with copper and maybe

zinc? Does this phenomenon of nickel dermatitis mean that nickel interferes

with copper metabolism or reduces the body supply of copper through

antagonism? What's going on?

Maybe our group can figure this out. For example if a significant number of

hypers said that they have nickel dermatitis or have skin irritations at the

finger, wrist, or neck where jewelry comes into contact, or have eye problems

that may be related to nickel contact, then maybe we have some reason to

suspect nickel involvement in hyperthyroidism. But if no one has had any of

these problems, then maybe there isn't a connection.

Let us know if you see that there might be something here. I'm going to add

a few of the studies on to the end of this post, so if you're interested you

can read them.

Title

Epidemiology of nickel allergy.

Author

Schubert H; Berova N; Czernielewski A; Hegyi E; Jir´asek L; Koh´anka V;

Korossy S; Michailov P; Nebenf¨uhrer L; Prater E; et al

Source

Contact Dermatitis, 16(3):122-8 1987 Mar

Abstract

In 2400 consecutive patients at 8 clinics in 5 countries, nickel

hypersensitivity was found in 176 cases (7.3%), 19 male (2.1%) and 157 female

(10.5%). The incidence ranged from 15 to 38 cases in 300 patients of every

department (5.0% Sofia to 12.7% Erfurt). 60.6% of the nickel positives were

schoolgirls or younger than 25 years. The exposure time was 3 years, in 49% 1

year or shorter. Most cases (75%) are not occupationally acquired, but due to

costume jewelry (31.8%), wrist watches (23.3%), metal clothing buckles (3.4%)

including jeans buttons. Job dependent nickel dermatitis is often (36/51

cases) linked with wet work. Atopic dermatitis was found in 8.3% of female

nickel allergy. Nickel positivity without a dermatitis history was seen in

9/176 cases (5%). Nickel allergy will become a sex-indifferent phenomenon in

Europe, because of the changing customs of adornment.

Title

Nickel dermatitis in medical workers.

Author

Schubert HJ

Address

Medizinische Akademie, Erfurt, GDR.

Source

Dermatol Clin, 8(1):45-7 1990 Jan

Abstract

The incidence of contact allergy to nickel in medical workers has increased

from 9.4 to 26.2 per cent during the past decade. Despite the many

occupational nickel sources in a hospital or outpatient department, the

incidence and prevalence of hypersensitivity to this metal are no higher in

female medical workers than in the female population in general. Also, most of

the cases of nickel allergy have been acquired before working life or are

attributable to nonoccupational sources such as earrings, wristwatches, and

clothing buckles. Occupational nickel sensitization is rare. Nickel allergy is

a handicap in many medical jobs, and persons suffering from it need career

advice.

Title

Effect of an acute injection of nickel upon essential metal homeostasis in the

rat. Influence of sex and pregnancy.

Author

Mas A; Peligero MJ; Alemany M; Arola L

Source

Biol Res Pregnancy Perinatol, 7(2):66-70 1986

Abstract

The content of calcium, copper, iron, magnesium and zinc in the plasma, liver

and kidney of control female and male, as well as pregnant rats on days 12 and

19 after a i.p. injection of 4 mg/kg of nickel was studied. The content of

19-day conceptuses was also measured. The injection of nickel provoked

significant alterations in the essential metal homeostasis, more marked in the

case of pregnant rats, with additional differences between male and female

animals. In general, nickel provoked increases in metal concentrations in

tissues, with diverse changes in plasma. In a number of tissues and metals,

the effects lasted up to 48 hours after the single injections, long after the

nickel being washed off the animal. The results suggest some sort of long-

lasting nickel effect upon metal homeostasis, which is postulated not to be

directly related to acute effects and which is enhanced by pregnancy.

Title

Elevated serum nickel concentration in psoriasis vulgaris.

Author

SA; Aamir F; Otis MP

Address

Department of Dermatology, University of Oklahoma Health Science Center,

Tulsa.

Source

Int J Dermatol, 33(11):783-5 1994 Nov

Abstract

BACKGROUND. Psoriasis vulgaris is a common skin disease afflicting 1-3% of the

American population. Its pathogenesis remains unknown despite concerted

research efforts. Our purpose was to study baseline serum nickel

concentrations in psoriasis vulgaris subjects and in healthy control subjects.

METHODS. Sixteen psoriasis vulgaris subjects with active disease (in 14 of

moderate to marked severity), and 11 age- and sex-matched healthy control

subjects were studied. Serum nickel determinations were performed using

electrothermal atomic absorption spectrophotometry (ETAAS). RESULTS. Despite

the relatively small sample size, significant elevation of mean serum nickel

concentration was found in the psoriasis group compared to the control group

(P = 0.019). CONCLUSIONS. Recognition of abnormal nickel homeostasis could

point the way to greater understanding of the primary biochemical defect in

the psoriatic process. Alternatively, this finding may mark an association

without pathogenic significance. Further investigation is needed.

Title

Response to acute nickel toxicity in rats as a function of sex.

Author

Alc´on MP; Arola L; Mas A

Address

Dept Enginyeria Qu´imica i Bioqu´imica, Universita de Barcelona, Tarragona,

Spain.

Source

Biol Met, 4(3):136-40 1991

Abstract

The effects of different nickel chloride doses upon blood and plasma glucose

and essential metal homeostasis were studied in male and female rats. A

definite sex-dependent response to injections of nickel has been observed for

both the increase in plasma and blood glucose levels and the time at which

these levels peak. Males showed a fast recovery from the rise in glucose

levels and were much less affected by changes in the other parameters studied.

In females, an extended rise in glucose levels was observed. All these effects

are clearly nickel dose-dependent. Plasma, liver and kidney copper levels rose

significantly in females while only a small decrease was observed in male

kidneys. Zinc levels rose in all organs studied but males recovered to basal

levels after the study period, whereas females maintained maximum levels at

the end of the same period. An increase in urinary excretion of iron was

observed. The present results show that the sex differences to acute nickel

toxicity can be a helpful way to study metal interaction and discriminate

between specific toxicity due to nickel or that induced by the associated

hyperglucagonemia.

Title

Effects of acute nickel toxicity upon plasma and liver metal homeostasis as a

function of sex.

Author

Carta~n´a J; Arola L; Mas A

Address

Dept Enginyeria Quimicai i Bioqu´imica, Univ. de Barcelona, Tarragona, Spain.

Source

Toxicology, 69(2):133-41 1991

Abstract

The effects of an acute dose of nickel chloride (4 mg Ni/kg body wt) upon

liver and plasma essential metal homoeostasis were studied in male and female

rats. Total levels of copper and zinc in the tissues and in the fractions of

chromatographic profiles (Sephadex G-100 and G-150) were determined. Plasma

and liver levels of both metals rose significantly. The higher levels of

copper in plasma are associated with increased ceruloplasmin activity and the

initial increase of zinc in plasma is due to higher zinc content in the plasma

albumin fraction. In the liver, the higher levels of both metals similarly

affected all the metal-containing chromatographic fractions, although a

significant increase is only observed in metallothionein-containing fractions,

which agrees with previous reports on increased levels of metallothionein

after nickel treatment. Regarding the sex-dependent changes, both sexes showed

the same alterations, yet males recovered faster than females from all the

nickel-induced changes in metal homoeostasis.

------------------------------------------------------------------------