Background: Allergic reactions to tattoos are amongst the most common side effects occurring with this permanent deposition of pigments into the dermal skin layer. The characterization of such pigments and their distribution has been investigated in recent decades. The health impact of tattoo equipment on the extensive number of people with inked skin has been the focus of neither research nor medical diagnostics. Although tattoo needles contain high amounts of sensitizing elements like nickel (Ni) and chromium (Cr), their influence on metal deposition in skin has never been investigated. Results: Here, we report the deposition of nano- and micrometer sized tattoo needle wear particles in human skin that translocate to lymph nodes. Usually tattoo needles contain nickel (6–8%) and chromium (15–20%) both of which prompt a high rate of sensitization in the general population. As verified in pig skin, wear significantly increased upon tattooing with the suspected abrasive titanium dioxide white when compared to carbon black pigment. Additionally, scanning electron microscopy of the tattoo needle revealed a high wear after tattooing with ink containing titanium dioxide. The investigation of a skin biopsy obtained from a nickel sensitized patient with type IV allergy toward a tattoo showed both wear particles and iron pigments contaminated with nickel. Conclusion: Previously, the virtually inevitable nickel contamination of iron pigments was suspected to be responsible for nickel-driven tattoo allergies. The evidence from our study clearly points to an additional entry of nickel to both skin and lymph nodes originating from tattoo needle wear with an as yet to be assessed impact on tattoo allergy formation and systemic sensitization.
Fitted X-ray fluorescence (XRF) images of tattoo inks.
This data set contains fitted XRF maps of pure tattoo inks. Black and TiO2 inks were used for tattooing of pig skin (see other data file). The XRF images were taken at beamline ID16B at the European Synchrotron (ESRF) in Grenoble, France. The data can be analyzed using the RBG correlator of the open source software PyMCA (pymca.sourceforge.net/). Single .edf files are named including the fitted element and whether the peaks are K- or L-edge of the corresponding element. Pixel sizes of each fitted map can be found in the text file. Data presented in this data set were used to create Figure S2 of the main manuscript.
data 2.zip
Fitted X-ray fluorescence (XRF) images of tattooed pig skin sections.
Fitted XRF maps from ID21 at the ESRF (micro XRF) for postmortem tattooed pig skin with either carbon black or TiO2 white ink. Both inks were applied with either a rotary or coil tattoo machine. The XRF images were taken at beamline ID21 at the European Synchrotron (ESRF) in Grenoble, France. The data can be analyzed using the RBG correlator of the open source software PyMCA (pymca.sourceforge.net/). Single .edf files are named including the fitted element and whether the peaks are K- or L-edge of the corresponding element. Pixel sizes of each fitted map can be found in the text file. Data presented in this data set were used to create Figure 2 of the main manuscript.
data 3.zip
Fitted X-ray fluorescence (XRF) images of tattooed human skin and corresponding local lymph node sections.
Tattooed human skin and local lymph nodes were taken from deceased donors. In addition, non-tattooed control skin from two donors and one skin sample from a donor with an allergic reaction toward a red tattoo have been analyzed. The XRF images were taken at beamline ID16B at the European Synchrotron (ESRF) in Grenoble, France. The data can be analyzed using the RBG correlator of the open source software PyMCA (pymca.sourceforge.net/). Single .edf files are named including the fitted element and whether the peaks are K- or L-edge of the corresponding element. Pixel sizes of each fitted map can be found in the text file. Data presented in this data set were used to create Table 1, Figure 1, Figure 4 and Figure S1 of the main manuscript.
data 1.zip
