Chromium eczema

A number of metal salts have been found to induce delayed hypersensitivity, mainly of the contact type, in humans or in laboratory animals. Sensitivity to ions of chromium, mercury, platinum, nickel, beryllium, and others seem well established and Table 2 shows some recent findings. The best studied metal sensitizers are the chromium salts, since chromium eczema due to cement is the most important occupational dermatosis (Polak et al. 1973). Hexavalent chromium, in the form of potassium dichromate, is a better sensitizer than trivalent chromium. This seems related to the much better skin penetrating capacity of the dichromate, since numerous studies have shown that trivalent chromium compounds as opposed to hexavalent salt are the actual sensitizers (Polak et al. 1973). The same authors conclude that chromium is probably a component of the determinants formed with autologous carriers and does not produce autoantigens without further participation of the metal ion. In particular, oxidation reactions as generators of determinants seem inoperative in chromium hypersensitivity, since other strong oxidizers like... 

Documented effects Fruits are a rich source of polyvitamins. Oil from the fruits is used as an analgesic and to treat bums, frostbite, eczema, persistent wounds, as well as stomach and duodenal ulcers. The oil is used during radiation treatment for esophageal cancer (Tolmachev 1976). A study of the radioprotective action of a preparation of this species resulted in an 82 % survival rate in mice that received the treatment compared to no survival in irradiated control (Goel et al. 2002). Alcoholic extracts of leaves and fruits of sea buckthorn were found to inhibit chromium-induced free radical production, apoptosis, and DNA fragmentation, and restored the anti-oxidant stams to that of control cells. These extracts also were able to arrest the chromium-induced inhibition of lymphocyte proliferation (Geetha et al. 2002). Flavonoids isolated from the plant are reported to have antioxidant, anti-ulcerogenic, and hepato-protective properties (Yue et al. 2004). 

A 43-year-old man with recurrent vesicular eczema on the hands, wrists, feet, ankles, and lower legs underwent patch testing, which was positive to potassium dichromate, cobalt chloride, nickel sulfate, chromium sulfate, ammoniated mercury, and phenylmercuric acetate [44 ]. Despite avoidance of contact with metals, leather, dark-coloured textiles, and dyes, and a low chromate and nickel diet for the next month, the lesions failed to improve. However, when he stopped taking multivitamin/multimineral tablets that... 

Chromium sensitization and eczema are still a problem in OCD and non-OCD. Irvine et al. (1994) have described OCD among 1138 construction workers... 

Cobalt occurs in cement as water-insoluble oxides, but forms complexes with amino acids in eczematous skin, thereby possibly forming haptens (Fregert and Gruvberger 1978). In cement eczema, cobalt sensitivity is therefore probably secondary to the chromium hypersensitivity. 

Hovding G (1970) Cement eczema and chromium allergy, an epidemiologic investigation (thesis). University of Bergen, Norway... 

Roto P, Sainio H, Reunala T, Laippala P (1996) Addition of ferrous sulfate to cement and risk of chromium dermatitis among construction workers. Contact Dermatitis 43 43-50 Rystedt I (1985) Work-related hand eczema in atopies. Contact Dermatitis 12 164-171... 

In Switzerland, construction workers with a declaration of medical inability are not allowed to perform any further work with contact to Cr(VI) or cement. Of a group of construction workers with allergic cement eczema, 72% (63 of 88) healed in the first few years, following strict avoidance of contact with cement and chromium salts (Lips et al. 1996). 

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