Comprehensive medical examination of a group of patients with alleged adverse effects from dental amalgams

Abstract

Mercury from dental amalgams does not seem to cause dose-related intoxications. However, animal studies have shown that high-dose exposure to mercury may support various types of immunologic reactions. Ten patients claiming that their symptoms were caused and aggravated by amalgam therapy were selected for a study of the effects of removal of one amalgam restoration followed by placing of a composite filling. Clinical symptoms and the result of laboratory tests were recorded. Six patients had contact allergies to metals, three of them to mercury ammonium chloride. The comparison of pre- and post-experimental test results showed significant reductions in p-IgE and dU-albumin and significant increases in p-C3d and dU-beta 2-microglobulin. There was no laboratory evidence of a direct toxic effect by mercury on the patients. The observed response by some of the studied factors to the low acute exposure to amalgam may imply that an activation of the immune system occurred.

The Release of Mercury from Amalgam Restorations and Its Health Effects: A Review

“…The authors found no evidence that amalgam restorations either affected lymphocytes or reduced immunocompetence. 57 A 1992 paper 58 reported the results of a study involving 10 patients who claimed that their symptoms were caused and aggravated by amalgam placement. In this evaluation, one amalgam restoration was removed from each patient and replaced with a resin composite restoration.…”

Immunotoxicity of heavy metals in relation to Great Lakes.

“…For comparison, Sweden has set a threshold limit for metallic Hg vapor in the work environment equal to 50 pg/m3 corresponding to an exposure of approximately 500 pg/dl (25). Decreased serum IgE levels and increased complement (C3d) levels were reported in a study of a small number of humans exposed to Hg in dental amalgams (26). The reduced IgE levels were observed during the period following removal of the dental amalgam, and it may have been an indication of a noncompensated consumption of IgE that might have occurred during the postexperimental period (26).…”

“…Decreased serum IgE levels and increased complement (C3d) levels were reported in a study of a small number of humans exposed to Hg in dental amalgams (26). The reduced IgE levels were observed during the period following removal of the dental amalgam, and it may have been an indication of a noncompensated consumption of IgE that might have occurred during the postexperimental period (26). Aggravation of asthma due to Hg in dental amalgams has been reported for one patient (27).…”

“…In mice, doses of 5, 10, or 50 ppm of CdCI2 administered orally for 26 days increased the number of PFC to the hapten-carrier dinitrophenol-Ficoll (DNP-Ficoll) (125); moreover, a dose of 5.9 mg/kg bw administered sc for 7 days increased the number of PFC to the hapten-carrier trinitrophenol-lipopolysaccaride (TNP-LPS) (126).…”

A Perspective on the Challenges and Issues in Developing Biomarkers for Human Allergic Risk Assessments

“…induce all types of allergic responses [7,8]. While nickel causes a type IV lymphocyte mediated delayed-type allergic response, it displays a common inflammatory morphological pattern, observed as a regional lymphocyte infiltration also seen in many other instances such a viral infection [9,10].…”