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“For the week following amalgam removal, body mercury levels increase significantly, depending on protective measures taken, but within 2 weeks levels fall significantly (82, 89). Chronic conditions can worsen temporarily, but usually improve if adequate precautions are taken to reduce exposure during removal.”

“Background Systemic allergic contact dermatitis has been reported in patients with adverse health effects linked to dental alloy restorations. Here we report a case of severe systemic allergic contact dermatitis caused by allergy to metals released by galvanic corrosion between mercury dental amalgam and a titanium dental implant. Methods A 36-year-old woman reporting severe systemic dermatitis with intractable pruritus was examined in April 2002. The rapid onset of dermatitis began several months after she received 2 titanium screws which were implanted in her maxilla and jaw. Examination showed extensive dermatitis with erythema, dry skin with scaling and crusting on face, neck, and inguinal area (Fig.1). She had 2 titanium endosseous implants (on 1.6 and 3.6 area) and 1 mercury amalgam filling on the mandibular left first molar (3.7). We suspected an high rate of intraoral metal ions release due to galvanic corrosion between mercury amalgam filling on 3.7 and the titanium implant-supported gold-alloy crown in 3.6 area. Amalgam tattoo was present on 1.6 gingival area. Results She was patch-tested with general and dental series. We observed very strong positive allergic reactions to nickel sulfate 5% (+++) and potassium dichromate 0.5% (+++), gold sodium thiosulfate 0.5% (++), all in petrolatum. Lymphocyte stimulation test confirmed nickel allergy (stimulation index: 6.7). Dental amalgam as well as metal ceramic crown on implant were removed to eliminate the oral galvanism corrosion. The systemic contact dermatitis resolved completely within 8 months after the removal of mercury amalgam. There have been reports of skin disorders associated with mercury amalgam such as nummular dermatitis, eczema, urticaria, pink exanthem, cutaneous lichen planus, orofacial granulomatosis. Adverse events associated with titanium implants are yellow nail syndrome, sinusitis, neuropathy, implant-related immune activation, arthritis, and leukopenia. Conclusions Clinicians should consider allergy to metal ions released from galvanic couple between mercury amalgam and titanium implant in patients with systemic dermatitis.”

“We describe an interesting case of mercury within a lymph node, which we found during routine fine needle aspiration cytology of a neck lump. We know of no similar reports and look for any suggestions from our readers as to the cause of such a finding.”

BACKGROUND:

Some authors have reported higher blood mercury (Hg) levels in persons with autism, relative to unaffected controls.

OBJECTIVES:

We compared blood total Hg concentrations in children with autism or autism spectrum disorder (AU/ASD) and typically developing (TD) controls in population-based samples, and determined the role of fish consumption in differences observed.

METHODS:

The Childhood Autism Risk from Genetics and the Environment (CHARGE) Study enrolled children 2-5 years of age. After diagnostic evaluation, we analyzed three groups: AU/ASD, non-AU/ASD with developmental delay (DD), and population-based TD controls. Mothers were interviewed about household, medical, and dietary exposures. Blood Hg was measured by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Multiple linear regression analysis was conducted (n = 452) to predict blood Hg from diagnostic status controlling for Hg sources.

RESULTS:

Fish consumption strongly predicted total Hg concentration. AU/ASD children ate less fish. After adjustment for fish and other Hg sources, blood Hg levels in AU/ASD children were similar to those of TD children (p = 0.75); this was also true among non-fish eaters (p = 0.73). The direct effect of AU/ASD diagnosis on blood Hg not through the indirect pathway of altered fish consumption was a 12% reduction. DD children had lower blood Hg concentrations in all analyses. Dental amalgams in children with gum-chewing or teeth-grinding habits predicted higher levels.

CONCLUSIONS:

After accounting for dietary and other differences in Hg exposures, total Hg in blood was neither elevated nor reduced in CHARGE Study preschoolers with AU/ASD compared with unaffected controls, and resembled those of nationally representative samples.”

“This report looks at the literature pertaining to the most important yet controversial restorative material in the history of dentistry, dental amalgam. It reviews utilization patterns of the material in the largest publicly insured program in Canada, the Non-Insured Health Benefits Program (NIHB), and evaluates specific mercury levels of the Canadian population.
As a result of the intense debate on possible adverse health effects of amalgam restorations, individuals who related their symptoms to the presence of dental amalgam have received increased attention. However, extensive research conducted worldwide has failed to document a link between the presence of amalgam fillings and the development of systemic diseases.”

“OBJECTIVES:

The Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study (MoBa) started in 1999 to identify environmental factors that could be involved in mechanisms leading to disease. Questions have been raised about potential risks to the fetus from prenatal exposure to mercury from amalgam fillings in pregnant women. The aim of the present study was to identify factors potentially associated with amalgam fillings in pregnant women participating in the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study (MoBa). An additional aim was to obtain information about dental treatment in the cohort.

METHODS:

Total of 67,355 pregnancies from the MoBa study were included in the present study. Information regarding age, education, smoking habits, alcohol consumption, weight, and height for the women was obtained from a questionnaire that was filled in at the 17th week of pregnancy. In another questionnaire, which was sent to all participants in the 30th week of pregnancy, the women reported types of dental treatment during pregnancy, total number of teeth, and number of teeth with amalgam fillings. The self-assessed number of teeth and number of teeth with amalgam fillings were validated in an external sample of 97 women of childbearing age.

RESULTS:

Odds ratio for having more than 12 teeth with amalgam fillings increased considerably with age. Other significant risk factors for having high exposure to amalgam were low education, high body mass index (BMI), and smoking during pregnancy. Women with the lowest levels of education had a twofold increased odds ratio of having more than 12 teeth filled with amalgam compared with women who had more than 4 years of university studies. According to the results from the validation of self-assessed number of teeth with amalgam fillings, the information obtained was reliable.”

“HgCl2 is a known environemental neurotoxin, but is also used as preservative in vaccines as thimerosal containing ethyl mercury covalently linked to thiosalicylate. We recently reported that mercury choloride (HgCl(2)) can stimulate human mast cells to release vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), which is also vasoactive and pro-inflammatory. Here we show that thimerosal induces significant VEGF release from human leukemic cultured LAD2 mast cells (at 1 microM 326 ± 12 pg/106 cells and 335.5 ± 12 pg/106 cells at 10 microM) compared to control cells (242 ± 21 pg/106 cells, n=5, p less than 0.05); this effect is weaker than that induced by HgCl2 at 10 microM (448 ± 14 pg/106 cells) (n=3, p less than 0.05). In view of this finding, we hypothesize that the thiosalicylate component of thimerosal may have an inhibitory effect on VEGF release. Thimerosal (10 microM) added together with the peptide Substance P (SP) at 2 microM, used as a positive control, reduced VEGF release by 90 percent. Methyl thiosalicylate (1 or 10 microM) added with either SP or HgCl2 (10 microM) inhibited VEGF release by 100 percent, while sodium salicylate or ibuprofen had no effect. Pretreatment for 10 min with the flavonoid luteolin (0.1 mM) before HgCl2 or thimerosal compeletly blocked their effect. Luteolin and methyl thiosalicylate may be useful in preventing mercury-induced toxicity.”

“Chemical exposure during pregnancy is potentially harmful to the developing fetus, as the placenta cannot protect against heavy metals such as lead and mercury (1–4). Cord blood mercury levels have been associated with childhood cognitive function (3,4). High levels of lead exposure during pregnancy have been associated with adverse birth outcomes and, in some studies, with lower cognitive function test scores in childhood (3); relatively low lead levels have recently been associated with a small risk of decreased birthweight (5). While intervention for pregnant women with blood lead levels greater than or equal to 5 μg/dL has been recommended (6,7), no comparable recommendation for blood mercury in pregnant women has been established. This report presents geometric mean lead and mercury blood levels of pregnant women in the United States based on using the 2003–2008 National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES). Throughout this report, the term mean refers to the geometric mean.”

“Mercury-containing dental amalgam is known to be a source of human exposure to mercury. We have explored the use of electron yield Hg L(III) X-ray absorption spectroscopy to characterize the chemical nature of dental amalgam surfaces. We find that the method is practical and that it shows extensive mercury depletion in the surface of the aged amalgam with significant differences between old and fresh amalgam surfaces. Whereas the fresh amalgam gives spectra that are typical of metallic mercury, the aged amalgam is predominantly beta-mercuric sulfide. The toxicological implications of these results are discussed.”