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Metal Allergy and the Lungs

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Metal Allergy

Abstract

Metals may induce diseases of the upper and lower respiratory tract, with clinical presentations including asthma, rhinosinusitis, acute bronchitis, acute pneumonitis, carcinoma, and interstitial lung disease. Several metals have a wide range of industrial applications, thus leading to occupational exposure. The current knowledge of airway allergy to metals (impact of metals on the immune system, metals causing immunological asthma, diagnostic problems of metal-induced asthma) has been presented in the chapter. Only a few metals may cause immunological asthma, and all belong to transition metals of the fourth (chromium, cobalt, nickel, manganese, zinc), fifth (rhodium, palladium), and sixth (platinum, iridium) periods of the periodic table. The underlying immune and nonimmune mechanisms involved in asthma caused by metals or metal salts are various and have not yet been fully elucidated. Laboratory tests (skin and serological tests, lymphocyte proliferation test) have limited value in the diagnosis of metal-induced immunological asthma. Specific inhalation challenge tests play a key role in the diagnostics of metal-induced asthma. Exposure to beryllium may lead to sensitization and chronic granulomatous lung disease. Other metals such as indium, zirconium, titanium, cobalt, aluminum, and copper sulfate may also sporadically induce lung pathologies.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Internal Diseases, Asthma and Allergy, Medical University of Łódź, Łódź, Poland

    Cezary Pałczyński & Maciej Kupczyk

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  1. Cezary Pałczyński
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  2. Maciej Kupczyk
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Correspondence to Cezary Pałczyński .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Dermatology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Redwood City, CA, USA

    Jennifer K Chen

  2. Department of Dermatology and Allergy Herlev and Gentofte Hospital University of Copenhagen, Hellerup, Denmark

    Jacob P. Thyssen

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Pałczyński, C., Kupczyk, M. (2018). Metal Allergy and the Lungs. In: Chen, J., Thyssen, J. (eds) Metal Allergy. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-58503-1_41

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-58503-1_41

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