THE NICKEL CONTENT OF CERTAIN COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE METALLIC PATCH TEST MATERIALS AND ITS RELEVANCE IN NICKEL-SENSITIVE SUBJECTS

The nickel contamination of the metallic patch test substances from 3 commercial sources was estimated by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Contamination was generally greatest in the cobalt patch test substances. To determine whether the levels of contamination encountered were sufficient to produce a false positive patch test, 20 nickel-sensitive patients were patch tested to various concentrations of free elemental nickel in aqueous solution. The level of nickel contamination was less than that required to produce a false positive patch test in our patients, but was at a level which could produce false positive reactions in subjects highly sensitive to nickel.