Environmental nickel pollution: does it protect against nickel allergy?

Smith-Sivertsen, Tone; Tchachtchine, Valeri; Lund, Eiliv · J Am Acad Dermatol · 2002

cross_sectional · Level IV

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Abstract

The Norwegian-Russian border area is polluted because of emissions from two local Russian nickel refineries. We patch tested the general adult population on both sides of the border. Only 7.2% of the Russian women were sensitized to nickel, compared with 27.5% of the Norwegian women. We suggest that long-term exposure to nickel may have induced immunologic tolerance in the Russian population.

Medical subject headings