Rebecca C.C. Brooke

Surveillance of occupational skin disease: EPIDERM and OPRA.

Consultant dermatologists in the U.K. have been reporting to EPIDERM, a voluntary surveillance scheme for occupational skin disease, since February 1993; reporting by occupational physicians to the scheme began in May 1994 and was superseded in January 1996 by OPRA (Occupational Physicians Reporting Activity). Currently 244 dermatologists and 790 occupational physicians report incident cases to these schemes. During the 6 years to January 1999 a total of 12,574 new cases of occupational skin disease was estimated from reports by consultant dermatologists and 10,136 cases estimated from occupational physicians (since May 1994). The annual incidence of occupational contact dermatitis using data from both schemes was 12·9 per 100,000 workers. The incidence of contact dermatitis per 100,000 workers increased with age in men from 4·9 (age 16–29 years) to 6·6 (age 45–60 years); in women a higher rate (9·5) was apparent in the younger age group, with lower rates in older female workers. High rates in young workers were associated with wet work and in older workers with exposure to oils. For men, high rates of contact dermatitis were seen in reports from both schemes for chemical operatives, machine tool setters and operatives, coach and spray painters and metal workers. For women, high rates were found for hairdressers, biological scientists and laboratory workers, nurses and those working in catering. The most frequent agents for contact dermatitis were rubber chemicals and materials (14·1% of cases reported by dermatologists), soaps and cleaners (12·7%), nickel (11·9%), wet work (11·1%), personal protective equipment (6·2%), petroleum products (6·3%), cutting oils and coolants (5·6%), and epoxy and other resins (6·1%). In the 1608 estimated cases of skin cancer all but 4% were attributed to ultraviolet radiation. Cases of contact urticaria attributed to latex peaked in 1996, with a decline in cases since that time.

Retinoic acid receptor α expression and cutaneous ageing

Abstract Intrinsic ageing of human skin is a subtle and gradual process that demonstrates few clinical or histological features until old age (>70 years). Initial work indicates that aged skin is “retinoid sensitive” but there is little data on the role of retinoic acid receptors (RARs) or retinoid X receptors (RXRs) in skin ageing. As nuclear retinoid receptors have been implicated in ageing in rodents, we studied the distribution of these receptors in intrinsically aged as compared to young, photoprotected human skin. We found that intrinsic ageing of skin in vivo is accompanied by significant increases of RARα mRNA and protein whereas other isoforms show no alteration with age. In vitro transfection of COS-1 cells with the RARα gene induces expression of matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1), an enzyme known to play an active role in remodelling of the dermis in intrinsically aged and photoaged skin. Furthermore, addition of all- trans retinoic acid (RA) to cultures of RARα-transfected COS-1 cells diminishes RARα and returns levels of MMP-1 to those approaching baseline. These results demonstrate that intrinsic ageing of human skin is accompanied by significant elevation in the content of RARα and that over-expression of RARα influences expression of MMP-1, an important mediator of skin ageing.

Evidence of high levels of anxiety and depression in polymorphic light eruption and their association with clinical and demographic variables.

Background  Polymorphic light eruption (PLE) is a prevalent photosensitivity condition associated with psychological distress.

Occupational allergic contact dermatitis from epoxy resin used to restore window frames

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