Comparison of the skin sensitization potential of 3 red and 2 black tattoo inks using interleukin-18 as a biomarker in a reconstructed human skin model.
Wieneke BilSebastiaan A S van der BentSander W SpiekstraKamran NazmiThomas RustemeyerSusan GibbsPublished in: Contact dermatitis (2018)
The in vitro RHS model showed that 4 tattoo inks were cytotoxic and 2 were able to cause an inflammatory IL-18 response, indicating that an individual may develop allergic contact dermatitis when exposed to these tattoo inks, as they contain contact sensitizers.