I just read an article on nickel allergy in the Feb 1996 Berkeley Wellness
Newsletter. I'm curious about these allergies to non-proteinaceous
materials, Nickel, and organics like formaldehyde, urushiol (oil from
poison ivy).
I just looked through Biosis for informative abstracts on nickel allergy
and it seems that simple nickel compounds like nickel sulfate are indeed
capable of inducing antibody formation. Can non-peptidal molecules,
induce antibody formation by themselves? Don't they have to be complexed
to some protein or other? Is this what happens with nickel compounds?
One abstract refers to an unidenditified "Ni-induced antigen". Is this
some presumptive Ni-protein complex. If so where does the protein
component come from? Are allergies of this type IGE mediated? Are
symptoms histamine-mediated? Can anybody refer to (or summarize) a
textbook-level model for immunopathogenesis of Nickel allergy. How about
for formaldehyde, urushiol?
Post or email.
Thanks...Stuart
