Dithiocarbamate therapy for nickel dermatitis

Area of Science:

• Dermatology
• Toxicology
• Internal Medicine

Background:

• Nickel contact dermatitis can be exacerbated by internal nickel exposure.
• Diethyldithiocarbamate (DDC) chelates nickel ions, potentially inactivating them.

Observation:

• A patient received approximately 1 g/day of DDC orally.
• Nickel excretion in urine increased significantly (about tenfold).
• Nickel elimination in scalp hair showed no increase.

Findings:

• A daily dose of 1.2 g DDC for 2 months resulted in a slightly negative nickel balance.
• Organ nickel content was not significantly depleted.
• Nickel sulfate patch tests remained positive, though less local therapy was required.
• The correlation between eczema activity and urinary nickel concentration lost its periodicity.

Implications:

• The efficacy of DDC in reducing nickel exposure for hypersensitive individuals remains uncertain.
• Further studies are required to determine if DDC is beneficial for managing nickel hypersensitivity.
• DDC's role in mitigating nickel exposure from dietary and environmental sources needs clarification.