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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2015 Aug 25.
Published in final edited form as: J Clin Immunol. 2011 Jan 6;31(3):356–368. doi: 10.1007/s10875-010-9495-1

Table I.

Mercury levels in the patients and controls and neural alterations found in comparison with mercury levels at the time of the examination

Subjects Disease Course Range of levels of mercury
detected in nails and hair in
parts per million (ppm) where
(+ mild, ++ moderate and
+++ severe)		 Presence of autoantibodies
to neural structures, and
isotypes of the antibodies		 Skin burning
sensation		 Kinesiological
and neurological
alterations
El Bagre-EPF cases Acute (<6 months
 after disease onset)		 40% (+++)
20% (++)
20% (+)
20% (5+)
0% (0)		 None Positive in
 100% cases		 Fine tremor
 50%
El Bagre-EPF cases Chronic cases(>3 years
 after disease onset)		 40% (+++)
20% (++)
20% (+)

20% (5+)
0% (0)		 IgM alone (40%)
IgA alone (40%)
IgA, IgM, fibrinogen,
 C3 and IgG (70%)		 Positive in
 100% cases		 Depression
 (100%)
Controls living in
 the endemic area		 <6 months 30% (+++)
20% (++)
10% (+)
20% (5+)
20% (0)		 None Negative in
 100% cases		 Fine tremor
 50%
Controls living in
 the endemic area		 >3 years 40% (+++)
20% (++)
20% (+)
20% (5+)
0% (0)		 IgM 1 control Negative in
 100% cases		 Depression
 (30%)
Controls from out
 of the endemic area		 100% (0) None Negative in
 100% cases		 None