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Adverse immunological effects and autoimmunity induced by dental amalgam and alloy in mice
Author(s) -
Hultman Per,
Johansson Uno,
Turley Shan J.,
Lindh Ulf,
EneströVl Sverker,
Pollard K. Michael
Publication year - 1994
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.8.14.7958626
Subject(s) - autoimmunity , immune system , immunology , splenocyte , amalgam (chemistry) , mercury (programming language) , spleen , medicine , chemistry , electrode , computer science , programming language
Dental amalgam fillings are the most important source of mercury exposure in the general population, but their potential to cause systemic health consequences is disputed. In this study, inbred mice genetically susceptible to mercury‐induced immune aberrations were used to examine whether dental amalgam may interfere with the immune system and cause autoimmunity. Female SJL/N mice were implanted in the peritoneal cavity with 8‐100 mg silver amalgam or silver alloy for 10 weeks or 6 months. Chronic hyperimmunoglobulinemia, serum IgG autoantibodies targeting the nucleolar protein fibrillarin, and systemic immune‐complex deposits developed in a time‐ and dose‐dependent manner after implantation of amalgam or alloy. Splenocytes from mice implanted with amalgam or alloy showed an increased expression of class II molecules. The functional capacity of splenic T and B cells was affected in a dose‐dependent way: 10 weeks of low‐dose and 6 months of high‐dose amalgam implantation strongly increased mitogen‐induced T and B cell proliferation, whereas 10 weeks of high‐dose implantation decreased the proliferation. Not only mercury but also silver accumulated in the spleen and kidneys after amalgam implantation. In conclusion, dental amalgam implantation in a physiological body milieu causes chronic stimulation of the immune system with induction of systemic autoimmunity in genetically sensitive mice. Implantation of silver alloy not containing mercury also induced autoimmunity, suggesting that other elements, especially silver, have the potential to induce autoimmunity in genetically susceptible vertebrates. Accumulation of heavy metals, from dental amalgam and other sources, may lower the threshold of an individual metal to elicit immunological aberrations. We hypothesize that under appropriate conditions of genetic susceptibility and adequate body burden, heavy metal exposure from dental amalgam may contribute to immunological aberrations, which could lead to overt autoimmunity.—Hultman, P., Johansson, U., Turley, S. J., Lindh, U., Enestrom, S., Pollard, K. M. Adverse immunological effects and autoimmunity induced by dental amalgam and alloy in mice. FASEB J. 8, 1183‐1190 (1994)