Intracellular immunoglobulins in plasma cells of nasal biopsies taken from vanadium-exposed workers. A retrospective case control study by the peroxidase-antiperoxidase (PAP) method.

The amount and classes of immunoglobulins were determined in plasma cells of nasal biopsies taken from vanadium-exposed workers, by peroxidase-antiperoxidase (PAP) method. Antiserum 1: 100 dilution proved better than 1: 1000 dilution in demonstrating the immunoglobulins in the formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded nasal biopsies stored four years. The number of plasma cells of the exposed was found to be increased, but no reliable conclusions could be drawn from the amounts of immunoglobulins in this survey. The number of positive cells had decreased probably due to storage and perhaps to fixation method, too (10% formalin). However, these findings seem to support our previous suggestion that vanadium does not cause an allergic nasal inflammation.