DOI: 10.5061/dryad.5qv3884
title: Data from: Distribution of nickel and chromium containing particles from tattoo needle wear in humans and its possible impact on allergic reactions

description: 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.
description: 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.zipFitted 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.zipFitted 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