Copper hypersensitivity
Abstract
The world production of copper is steadily increasing. Although humans are widely exposed to copper-containing items on the skin and mucosa, allergic reactions to copper are only infrequently reported. To review the chemistry, biology and accessible data to clarify the implications of copper hypersensitivity, a database search of PubMed was performed with the following terms: copper, dermatitis, allergic contact dermatitis, contact hypersensitivity, contact sensitization, contact allergy, patch test, dental, IUD, epidemiology, clinical, and experimental. Human exposure to copper is relatively common. As a metal, it possesses many of the same qualities as nickel, which is a known strong sensitizer. Cumulative data on subjects with presumed related symptoms and/or suspected exposure showed that a weighted average of 3.8% had a positive patch test reaction to copper. We conclude that copper is a very weak sensitizer as compared with other metal compounds. However, in a few and selected cases, copper can result in clinically relevant allergic reactions.
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In comparison with other metal compounds, copper has a low allergenic potential, and the risk of adverse side effects due to skin contact with the metal is small.
“In comparison with other metal compounds, copper has a low allergenic potential, and the risk of adverse side effects due to skin contact with the metal is small [132,133].”
From Bioactive Compounds for Skin Health: A Review (2021) · cites this paper as [133]
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- Authors
- Fage, S. W., Faurschou, A., & Thyssen, J. P.
- Affiliations
- Copenhagen University Hospital (DK)
- Corresponding author
- Thyssen, Jacob P.
- Venue
- Contact Dermatitis
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2014-08-07
- Volume
- 71
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 191-201
- ISSN
- 0105-1873 (ISSN-L)
- 1600-0536
- OpenAlex
- W3187753158
- Cited by
- 63
- References
- 86
- Citations by year
- 2026: 3 · 2025: 5 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 7 · 2022: 4 · 2021: 8 · 2020: 7 · 2019: 7 · 2018: 6 · 2017: 2 · 2016: 9 · 2015: 2
- FWCI
- 0.72
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Contact Dermatitis (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Dermatology › Contact Dermatitis and Allergies
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Pharmacology › Drug-Induced Adverse Reactions
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis › Heavy Metal Exposure and Toxicity
- Keywords
- allergic contact dermatitis, contact hypersensitivity, skin sensitization, patch testing, metal allergy, copper exposure, dental alloys, intrauterine devices
- MeSH terms
- Animals, Copper, Cross Reactions, Drug Hypersensitivity, Humans, Ions, Nickel, Patch Tests, Prevalence
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