Allergy treatment may cause new allergy


Allergic contact dermatitis from aluminium has previously been considered very unusual. However, there are now reports of pruritic nodules and aluminium allergy arising after vaccinations or treatments for allergies. Researcher Eva Netterlid has studied the problem in a thesis recently defended at Lund University in Sweden.

'Pruritic nodules' are small lumps under the skin that cause itching and which, according to some studies, can remain for several years. A study of whooping cough vaccinations in Gothenburg a few years ago showed that almost one per cent of the children developed pruritic nodules in the area of the vaccination. Three out of four of the children who had a reaction with nodules also developed an allergy to aluminium.

"This was completely unexpected. Aluminium has been used as an adjuvant, intensifier, in vaccines for over 70 years with only a small number of reports of pruritic nodules and allergic contact dermatitis", says Eva Netterlid. Her research has been carried out at the Occupational and Environmental Dermatology Unit in Malmö.

There are a number of possible explanations as to why aluminium allergy has become more common.