Contact allergy and human biomonitoring - an overview with a focus on metals

Abstract

Humans are widely exposed to chemicals. Today, there is an increased acknowledgement of the importance of measuring human and environmental exposures to man-made or refined chemicals. Different approaches have been applied over time, but during the past 25 years, there has been a general trend towards the use of human biomonitoring. A few studies have used human biomonitoring methodology to track contact allergens together with information on patch test reactivity. Hypothetically, the internal load of reactive chemicals might modify the immune response to haptens and the propensity to sensitize and elicit allergic contact dermatitis or develop tolerance. This review offers a general overview of human biomonitoring, including information about its typical application and methodology. Furthermore, studies that have attempted to perform simultaneous biomonitoring and patch testing are reviewed. It is concluded that all studies conducted until the present have focused on one or two routes of exposure (typically skin and oral exposure, but also skin and airway exposure), whereas no studies have investigated all routes at the same time. Also, there is a need for prospective studies, as all epidemiological studies so far have been cross-sectional.

Biological monitoring of dermal and air exposure to cobalt at a Swedish hard metal production plant: does dermal exposure contribute to uptake?

“…Cobalt is a known sensitizer (1,2), and can induce allergic contact dermatitis (3,4). Exposure to cobalt on the skin can be easily determined with a skin wash technique (5); however, more knowledge is needed for biological monitoring of contact allergens (6).…”

Diagnosis and Treatment of Metal Poisoning

“…It has been reported that cobalt and nickel powders penetrate damaged skin more easily compared to intact skin. Little is known about how aging affects skin penetration, apart from the incomplete barrier function observed in infants and young children (Thyssen et al, 2011).…”

Classification models based on the level of metals in hair and nails of laryngeal cancer patients: diagnosis support or rather speculation?

“…This retrospective information allows for the assessment of nutritional status, environmental and occupational exposure to metals, and body load. [16][17][18][19] Unfortunately, despite the many positive attributes of alternative materials, there are some difficulties associated primarily with the interpretation of the results. The biggest limitation is a properly defined range of reference values of concentration, especially in relation to hair.…”