Orally provoked urinary nickel excretion during disulfiram treatment

A female alcoholic with nickel allergy was started on disulfiram treatment (Antabus; Dumex, Copenhagen, Denmark). Before and during this treatment, she was given a small oral dose of nickel sulfate. Urinary nickel levels increased slightly before disulfiram treatment but markedly during this treatment when a clinical flare-up was also observed. The mechanism of disulfiram action in nickel dermatitis is probably by increased absorption of dietary nickel as well as by mobilization of nickel from body depots.