Quality of Life in Systemic Nickel Allergy Syndrome

Nickel oral hyposensitization treatment (NiOHT) was performed with hard gelatin capsules containing Nickel sulphate (NiSO4) at different dosages (0.1 ng, 1 ng, 10 ng, 0.1 μg, 0.5 μg) and microcrystalline cellulose as excipient (TIO Nickel, Lofarma SpA, Milan, Italy). Treatment was given 3 times a week increasing progressively the dose from 0.1 ng to 3 μg in 10 weeks with a maintenance phase of 1,5 μg a week for a period of 12 months. After 6 months, patients were allowed to gradually reintroduce nickel-rich foods, starting with those with a maximum of 100 mcg of nickel content. For all the treatment period, information on the appearance of side effects or more severe adverse reactions and the need for antiallergic drugs (corticosteroids, antihistamine drugs) were collected.