Urine · 2 analyses
Nickel
Measures nickel in your urine, as a measure of recent exposure, for example at work. Not a test for nickel allergy; that requires a patch test.
€ 42,00
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Metals, toxins and medication · Urine
Nickel (urine)
Nickel in urine is a measure of recent exposure to nickel; it says nothing about a nickel allergy.
At a glance
- Measured in urine
- In 2 test panels
- Check the preparation
Explanation
Nickel (urine): what is measured?
The analysis measures how much nickel leaves the body in the urine. Nickel is found in small amounts in almost all food, with somewhat more in chocolate, licorice, nuts, legumes and whole grain products. It is used in stainless steel, jewelry and electroplating. Absorbed nickel is mainly excreted in the urine, so the value mainly says something about the past few days.
What can it detect?
- Exposure to nickel at work, for example with electroplating, welding or in the metal industry
- A recent high intake through food or drinking water
Result
What does the result mean?
Nickel (urine) too high
A raised value means that you have taken in relatively much nickel in the past few days, for example through work, food or water that had been standing in the pipes for a long time. A raised value is not a sign of a nickel allergy and does not predict symptoms either. With work involving nickel, the occupational physician monitors the value.
Nickel (urine) too low
A low or unmeasurable value is normal. There is no known nickel deficiency in humans, so a low result does not call for supplementation. A low value does not rule out a nickel allergy.
After an abnormal result
With a raised result, the GP looks at the possible source, for example work, food or tap water. If contact allergy is suspected, referral to the dermatologist for a patch test follows.
Reliability
How reliable is the test?
Nickel in urine is mainly informative with known exposure at work; in people without known exposure, a single value says little. With exposure at work, the urine is usually collected at the end of a working day, after several working days in a row. Nickel allergy is a contact allergy of the skin and is diagnosed with a patch test, not with a urine or blood test. The result says something about exposure, not about a buildup that you can remove with a course of treatment.
What can affect the result?
- A single urine sample depends strongly on how much you have drunk; the result is easier to compare when it is expressed per gram of creatinine, which requires measuring creatinine in the same sample.
- Food rich in nickel, such as chocolate, licorice, nuts and legumes, raises the value temporarily.
- The test says nothing about a nickel allergy; a patch test on the skin is needed for that.
- There are no agreed cutoff values; the limit between normal and raised comes from the laboratory itself.
Preparation
- Do you work with nickel? Then collect the urine at the end of a working day, after a few working days in a row.
Who it is for
Who is the test useful for?
Useful for
Useful with known exposure to nickel at work, usually at the request of the occupational physician. In people without symptoms and without known exposure, the measurement adds nothing. Anyone who develops eczema after skin contact with jewelry, buckles or eyeglass frames needs a patch test, not a urine test.
How common is it?
Contact allergy to nickel is common, especially in women; the symptom is eczema where the skin touches an object containing nickel. Nickel poisoning through food does not occur in the Netherlands. Nickel occurs naturally in the soil and ends up in shallow groundwater mainly in sandy soils.
The Netherlands Nutrition Centre (Voedingscentrum) and the RIVM (Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment)
Drawbacks and risks
- The result is easily read as proof for or against a nickel allergy, while the test says nothing about that.
- A raised value can lead to an unnecessarily strict low-nickel diet, while that is only useful in exceptional situations and under supervision.
Get tested
Nickel (urine): test panels
Nickel (urine) is part of these test panels. You order online and have your blood drawn at a collection point or collect the sample at home.
Evidence
Sources
This explanation is based on Dutch guidelines and independent information. It is general information, not a diagnosis. Discuss an abnormal result with your GP.
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