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INDUSTRIAL HEALTH 1991,29,153-160
Lymphocyte Transformation Test with Nickel in
Hard Metal Asthma:
Another Sensitizing Component of Hard Metal
Yukinori KUSAKA*1), Yumiko NAKANO2), Taro SHIRAKAWA3),
Naoki FUJIMURA4), Mikio KATO4) and Shinichiro HEIKI4)
1) Department of Environmental Health, Jichi Medical School,
Minamikawachi-machi, Tochig-ken 329-04, Japan,
2) Division of Industrial Health, Osaka Prefectural Institute of Public Health,
Higashinari-ku, Osaka 537, Japan
3) Department of Hygiene and Preventive Medicine, School of Medicine,
Osaka University, Suita City 565, Japan
4) Department of Respiratory Diseases, Takatsuki Red Cross Hospital,
Takatsuki City 569, Japan
(Received June 28, 1991 and in revised form September 11, 1991)
Abstract: To determine cell-mediated immunity to nickel, another matrix in hard metal besides cobalt, lymphocyte transformation teste (LTT) with nickel were carried out in seven hard metal asthma patients all of who had reacted to cobalt chloride in the bronchial provocation tests (BPT). Immunoallergic studies prior to the present study revealed that threee of the seven generated a simultaneous positive reaction in the BPT with nickel and the allergosorbent test with nickel-conjugated human serum albumin (Ni-HSA). A stimulation index in LTT indicating a positive response was defined on the basis of results from the studies in the controls. Data revealed that two of the three who showed a combination of positive bronchial and immunological reactions with nickel had a positive LTT with nickel. In the other five, peripheral lymphocytes did not proliferate in response to nickel. Thus it is suggested that cell-mediated immunity to nickel as well as cobalt is implicated in some cases associated with hard metal asthma.
Key words: Asthma-Hard Metal-Cobalt-Nickel-Hypersensitivity-Lymphocyte transformation test
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