NCT03731494

Quality of Life in Systemic Nickel Allergy Syndrome

Quality of Life Assessment Before and After Hyposensitization Treatment in Systemic Nickel Allergy Syndrome

• Status: Completed
• Phase: —
• Study type: Observational
• Enrollment: 52 (actual)
• Sponsor: Catholic University of the Sacred Heart · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years – 65 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

This study evaluates the effects of Nickel oral hyposensitization treatment (NiOHT) on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of patients suffered from Systemic Nickel Allergy Syndrome (SNAS).

Detailed description

Nickel (Ni) is a nutritionally essential metal widely distributed in the environment, and it has been reported to be one of the most common causes of allergic contact dermatitis (ACD), affecting nearly 15-20% of the general population. As known, Ni-hypersensitivity can induce less frequently also respiratory allergy (RA) and in approximately 20% of Ni-ACD patients cause a more complex condition termed Systemic Nickel Allergy Syndrome (SNAS). It is characterized by a combination of cutaneous (in regions without direct nickel contact) and extracutaneous gastrointestinal symptoms, after the ingestion of Ni-rich foods, especially vegetables. Then, a low-Ni diet, following positive patch tests, represents a effective diagnostic and therapeutic tool in the control of systemic manifestations, determining a significant clinical improvement. It is known that Nickel oral hyposensitization treatment (NiOHT) is a effective approach for the management of Ni allergy, especially in a subset of patients with SNAS, inducing immunological and clinical tolerance to metal at the doses normally taken with the diet. Although a large number of clinical trials focused on the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in allergic disease, the expectations, the needs and the psychosocial characteristics of patients affected by SNAS are limited and no data exist pre- and post-treatment and specifically with NiOHT. Given the high safety profile and beneficial effects of immunotherapy on HRQoL of patients with allergic rhinitis, we hypothesized similar positive results even after oral Ni desensitization.

Conditions

• Systemic Nickel Allergy Syndrome
• Quality of Life

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BIOLOGICAL	Nickel oral hyposensitization treatment	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.

Timeline

• Start date: 2015-03-01
• Primary completion: 2019-04-30
• Completion: 2019-05-30
• First posted: 2018-11-06
• Last updated: 2020-02-05

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Italy