Dietary Approach to Improve Nickel-Induced Allergic Contact Dermatitis

Persa Ghiţulescu1, Virgil Feier1, Smaranda R. Goţia2, Caius Solovan1, Corneluţa Fira-Mladinescu3, Dragoş Teodorescu-Brînzeu1, and Oana Roşca1

1 Department of Dermatology, 2 Department of Physiology, and
3 Department of Hygiene, Victor Babeş University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Timişoara, Romania

Corresponding author: Dr. Persa Ghiţulescu
    11 Brâncoveanu Str., Apt. 4
    RO-1900 Timişoara, Romania
    Telephone/Fax number: +40-256-496663

CEJOEM 2003, Vol.9. No.4.: 263–266

Key words:
Nickel sulphate, dermatitis, diet, allergy

Abstract:
The aim of this study was to evaluate the importance of the diet in the evolution of nickel-induced allergic contact dermatitis (ACD). In the Department of Dermatology, Victor Babeş University (Timişoara, Romania) out of 104 nickel-ACD patients 25 were kept on a low-nickel diet. The dietarian patients, predominantly females, had positive patch test to nickel sulphate and manifest dermatitis for at least 6 months, due to occupational (13 patients) or non-occupational (12 patients) contact exposure to nickel. After 6 weeks, the results of repeated clinical and patch test examinations were compared to those of a control group. In 14 of the 25 dietarian patients (56%), the diet proved to be advantageous in a short time: the dermatitis improved faster than in the control group, while the patch test at nickel sulphate remained positive at all patients. The favourably responding patients were recommended to continue the diet and were kept under further observation and re-evaluated in 3 months. It is suggested that the low-nickel diet offers certain chance for amelioration in a category of nickel-ACD patients, but it cannot replace the measures necessary to eliminate the industrial nickel pollution of the environment.

Received: 1 August 2003
Accepted: 23 February 2004
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