Jane E. Sansom

The European baseline series in 10 European Countries, 2005/2006 : results of the European Surveillance System on Contact Allergies (ESSCA)

Background: Continual surveillance based on patch test results has proved useful for the identification of contact allergy.

Current patch test results with the European baseline series and extensions to it from the 'European Surveillance System on Contact Allergy' network, 2007-2008

Background. The pattern of contact sensitization to the supposedly most important allergens assembled in the baseline series differs between countries, presumably at least partly because of exposure differences.

Photopatch testing of 1155 patients: results of the U.K. multicentre photopatch study group

Background  Photoallergic contact dermatitis can be difficult to diagnose if not appropriately investigated. Currently, the most common U.K. photoallergens appear to be sunscreen chemicals. The investigation of choice is photopatch testing (PPT), which is probably underused. In part, this is due to differences in methodology and results interpretation.

The British standard series of contact dermatitis allergens: validation in clinical practice and value for clinical governance

Summary Background All centres use an empirically determined set of ‘standard’ test allergens for patch testing that contain the commoner environmental sensitizers.

Colophony allergy: a review

Colophony is a complex mixture of over 100 compounds derived from pine trees. It has countless applications at home and at work and exposure to colophony and modied‐colophony is universal. It is the oxidation products of unmodied and modied colophony and some of the new resin acids synthesized during modication that are the principle allergens in colophony. The neutral fraction may account for a small % of positive reactions. When screening for allergy using unmodied gum rosin, allergy to modied rosin will not be revealed. When patients react to both materials, it is probably due to unmodied colophony present in both, rather than a cross‐reaction. Relevant positive reactions may be missed if only colophony 20% pet. is relied upon as the screening material.

Contact sensitivity to preservatives in the UK, 2004–2005: results of multicentre study

Preservative sensitivity in the UK was last assessed in 2000. Given the changes in preservative usage, we have re‐evaluated our patch test data in order to detect any changes in the trend of sensitization. The results of patch testing using the extended British Contact Dermatitis Society Standard series were collected from 9 dermatology centres in the UK. Positive reactions to each of 10 preservative allergens were captured together with the MOAHFLA indices for each centre. In total, 6958 patients were tested during the period 2004–2005. The current data were compared with previously published data. Formaldehyde and methylchloroisothiazolinone/methyl‐isothiazolinone have the highest positivity rates at 2.0% and chloroxylenol the lowest at 0.2%. Parabens mix has the highest irritancy rate. Compared with the UK data in 2000, the positivity rate of imidazolidinyl urea (0.02 < P < 0.05) has significantly increased and that of methyldibromo glutaronitrile has significantly reduced (P < 0.001).

A fatal case of scleredema of Buschke

Summary Scleredema of Buschke is a rare disorder characterized by the development of areas of skin induration which usually resolve spontaneously. It is occasionally associated with a benign gammopathy, and rarely with myelomatosis. We describe B 60‐year‐old woman with extensive skin changes, who developed IgA myeloma. Unusually, her skin disease did not respond to conventional myeloma therapy. Death occurred as a consequence of the progressive skin disease.

Allergy to oxidized limonene and linalool is frequent in the U.K.

The oxidized forms of the fragrance terpenes limonene and linalool are known to cause allergic contact dermatitis. Significant rates of contact allergy to these fragrances have been reported in European studies and in a recent worldwide study. Patch testing to oxidized terpenes is not routinely carried out either in the U.K. or in other centres internationally.

Urinary leukotriene E4 levels in patients with atopic dermatitis

Leukotriene synthesis may be increased in a variety of inflammatory diseases. Urinary leukotriene E4 is a stable metabolite of leukotrienes C4 and D4 which has previously been found to be increased in exacerbations of severe asthma and after antigen inhalation. Levels of urinary LTE4 in seven patients during and after a severe flare of atopic dermatitis were measured by high‐performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and radioimmunoassay (RIA). Mean urinary LTE4 levels (± SEM) were not increased during (16·7 ± 3·7pg/μmol) or after (16·9 ± 4·8 pg/μxmol) the acute exacerbation of atopic dermatitis when compared with the normal range (mean = 23·8 [95% confidence interval 19·9–28·2] pg/μmol creatinine). These findings do not provide evidence of cysteinyl leukotriene involvement in the pathogenesis of atopic dermatitis.

The importance of propolis in patch testing–a multicentre survey

Background: Propolis is widely used in ‘natural’ cosmetics, remedies, and over‐the‐counter products. The incidence of propolis allergy is increasing, and cross‐reaction with fragrance mix I (FMII), colophonium, and Myroxylon pereirae can occur.