Back to Search
Start Over
Immune Factors, Dental Amalgam, and Low-dose Exposure to Mercury in Swedish Adolescents
- Source :
- Archives of Environmental Health: An International Journal. 49:160-164
- Publication Year :
- 1994
- Publisher :
- Informa UK Limited, 1994.
-
Abstract
- Occupational high-dose exposure to metallic mercury can cause immune disturbances in sensitive individuals. Whether low-dose exposure to inorganic mercury from dental amalgam has this effect in humans is one of the issues related to the concept of oral galvanism and is supported by results of animal studies. This study explored some cellular immune factors (B- and T-lymphocytes, T4, T8, monocytes, neutrophilic, eosinophilic, and basophilic granulocytes, and large unstained cells) and some humoral immune factors (immunoglobulins IgG, IgG1, IgG2, IgG3, IgG4, IgA, IgM, IgE, albumin, alfa-1-antitrypsin, orosomucoid, haptoglobin, and antinuclear antibodies) in 41 healthy 15-y-old schoolchildren. The relationship between these factors and amalgam fillings and mercury concentrations in plasma (P-Hg) were investigated. A low, but significant correlation (r = 0.40, p.05) was found between the number of amalgam surfaces and the P-Hg values, which were low for both sexes (median value = 1.8 nmol/l). There was no significant influence of the number of amalgam surfaces or P-Hg on the immune factors tested, except random findings. The girls had significantly higher values of T8, IgG, and IgG1 than the boys.
- Subjects :
- Male
Cellular immunity
Adolescent
chemistry.chemical_element
Orosomucoid
Immunoglobulin E
Dental Amalgam
Leukocyte Count
Plasma
Immune system
Leukocytes
Humans
Environmental Chemistry
Serum Albumin
General Environmental Science
Sweden
biology
Chemistry
Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health
Mercury
Mercury (element)
Oral galvanism
Humoral immunity
Immunology
biology.protein
Female
Serum Globulins
Antibody
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 00039896
- Volume :
- 49
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Archives of Environmental Health: An International Journal
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....de9288ba74b75d72a79ce2dd1f3995d5