rosin and Dermatitis--Irritant

Comparative light microscopic studies have revealed subtle differences between allergic and irritant reactions in the skin. In the search for specific differences, we focussed on the early inflammatory response. This pilot study was conducted to test the hypothesis that follicular spongiosis can differentiate between early allergic and irritant patch test reactions. 8 patients with known contact allergy to either colophony or quarternium-15 participated in the study. In each patient, allergic and irritant patch tests reactions were elicited, and 4-mm punch biopsies were taken after 6 8 h from clinically equipotent reactions. Paired sets of slides were assessed blindly by 2 pathologists. 1 patient showing a pityrosporum folliculitis was excluded from the study. All biopsies from allergic patch tests were characterized by follicular spongiosis, while biopsies from irritant patch tests showed no recognizable changes except a slight follicular spongiosis in 1 patient. The 2 pathologists agreed independently on the correct classification in 6 out of 7 cases (p=0.0156). We tested an optimized model, selecting non-irritant allergens and a well-known irritant. Further investigations are needed to elucidate the diagnostic significance of the histological classification of allergic and irritant cutaneous reactions in punch biopsies.

Topics: Adult; Biopsy; Dermatitis, Allergic Contact; Dermatitis, Irritant; Diagnosis, Differential; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Patch Tests; Pilot Projects; Resins, Plant; Skin; Time Factors

839 patients were patch tested with a series of 31 plastics and glues allergens at a dermatologic clinic over a period of 7 years. 52 (6%) had a positive patch test reaction to 1 or more such allergens. Clinic charts of 47 patients (out of 52) were available for the study. All but 3 patients had dermatitis on their hands: 17 had only hand dermatitis. 25 (53%) patients' test results were of present or past relevance to their skin diseases. 11 patients (68%) with occupational allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) and 14 (45%) with non-occupational dermatitis had relevant reactions. p-tertiary-butylphenol-formaldehyde resin was the most common allergen (9 cases). 7 patients reacted to diaminodiphenylmethane. 5 patients, who had colophony allergy, reacted to abietic acid and 4 to abitol. There was no reaction to 14 test substances. Special series, such as this plastics and glues series, reveal the cause of ACD less frequently than standard series. However, there is no other way to confirm allergy to these usually industrial allergens, which can also sensitize through non-occupational exposure during hobby working or through unpolymerized monomer left in the finished plastic product.

Topics: Adhesives; Adult; Aged; Dermatitis, Allergic Contact; Dermatitis, Irritant; Dermatitis, Occupational; Ethylenediamines; Female; Finland; Formaldehyde; Hand Dermatoses; Humans; Longitudinal Studies; Male; Middle Aged; Patch Tests; Plastics; Resins, Plant; Resorcinols

A connection between patch test reactions to paper extracts and contact allergy to rosin (colophony) has been demonstrated.. We wanted to determine whether a difference in the allergenic activity of various types of paper is related to a difference in the pulp.. Patients with dermatitis who were frequently exposed to paper were patch tested with extracts from various papers and the standard series. The extracts were also tested in volunteers with or without contact allergy to rosin and in animals. The rosin compounds in the papers were analyzed by gas chromatography.. The subjects reacting to paper extracts also reacted to rosin. Most reactions were found to the papers produced from mechanical pulps, which contained the highest analyzed amounts of rosin compounds. Animals sensitized to rosin reacted only to paper from mechanical pulp.. Papers based on mechanical pulps that are considered to be environmentally friendly have a greater potential to elicit positive patch test reactions than papers made from other pulps. The increased use of mechanical pulps in different applications may increase the incidence of rosin-related hand eczema.

Topics: Abietanes; Allergens; Animals; Dermatitis, Allergic Contact; Dermatitis, Irritant; Dermatitis, Occupational; Diterpenes; Eczema; Female; Guinea Pigs; Hand Dermatoses; Humans; Immunization; Male; Paper; Patch Tests; Phenanthrenes; Resins, Plant

An ion-exchange fractionation technique for the separation of total resin acid and neutral fractions of unmodified colophony is described. The allergic potential of these fractions was assessed by patch testing colophony-sensitive individuals, and this showed that both the neutral components and the resin acids play an important role in colophony sensitization. A greater frequency of positive reactions was obtained using the 60% colophony patch test preparation compared with the currently recommended 20% colophony preparation. Furthermore, some individuals were found to produce positive reactions to only the neutral components in colophony. We suggest that the use of a colophony patch test battery comprising resin acids, neutrals, oxidized resin acid and some colophony derivatives, will facilitate detection of colophony-sensitive individuals. Moreover, we consider that this will help to provide a better estimate of the prevalence of colophony dermatitis, which is currently underestimated.

Topics: Chemical Fractionation; Dermatitis, Irritant; Humans; Resins, Plant; Skin; Skin Tests; Tars

Putative allergens in, clinical manifestations of, and patch tests with traditional Chinese medicinal materials (CMM) causing contact dermatitis (CD) were studied. 14 patients with CMM CD and 351 controls were patch tested with the standard series of allergens of Beijing Medical University and the suspected drug, as is. It was found that most CMM CD was caused by the CMM frequently used topically for analgesic and anti-inflammatory effect. All patients patch tested with the suspected drug gave positive results. Some patients also reacted to fragrance mix, colophony, rubber mix and ammoniated mercury. The positivity rates of fragrance mix and colophony in CMM CD patients were significantly higher than in controls (55.6% versus 16.5% for fragrance mix, chi 2 = 11.86, p < 0.01; and 55.6% versus 5.1% for colophony, chi 2 = 29.35, p < 0.01), while not those of rubber mix and ammoniated mercury. Results indicated that the topical analgesic and anti-inflammatory CMM, especially those containing fragrance, may cause contact sensitization. Clinical findings in CMM CD included cutaneous irritation, allergic contact dermatitis, immediate contact reactions and systemic contact dermatitis. CMM CD can be diagnosed by patch testing the putative drug, as is.

Topics: Administration, Cutaneous; Adolescent; Adult; Ammonia; Analgesics; Anti-Inflammatory Agents; Dermatitis, Allergic Contact; Dermatitis, Contact; Dermatitis, Irritant; Drug Eruptions; Drugs, Chinese Herbal; Female; Humans; Hypersensitivity, Immediate; Male; Mercuric Chloride; Middle Aged; Patch Tests; Perfume; Resins, Plant; Rubber; Tars