Background: Allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) is a common skin inflammatory reaction occurring at the site of challenge with a contact allergen in sensitized individuals and one of the most common causes for consultation in dermatology clinics. Patch testing is a method for detecting the causative component in suspected cases of ACD. Awareness about the causative allergen aids in reducing morbidity and can significantly minimize the impact of ACD in the affected people. Objectives: The study aimed to measure the number of relevant positive reactions in patch tests being performed in our institution in patients with ACD to cosmetic products. Methods: A total of 60 patients who were diagnosed with ACD to cosmetics and underwent patch testing were reviewed to identify the clinico‑epidemiological and patch test profiles of these patients. Results: The study showed that the mean age of patients was 42 comprising mostly of females. Most of the patients were unemployed, office workers, and medical workers. The most common cosmetic products that caused ACD include soaps, shampoos, lotions, and moisturizers. Nickel is still the most tested positive among these patients, followed by fragrance mixes and 4‑phenylenediamine base. They are widely distributed in cosmetic products, especially in soaps and lotions. The pattern of dermatitis revealed facial dermatitis to be the most common reason for consult of these patients. Conclusion Patch test is valuable in the setting of establishing the etiology of ACD to cosmetic products.
Dermatitis, Allergic Contact ; Cosmetics ; Patch Tests

INTRODUCTION

Allergic contact dermatitis remains a commonly encountered condition in dermatology. Contact allergen prevalence fluctuates over time, making ongoing surveillance essential for detecting trends and identifying emerging allergens.

To determine the prevalence and trends of top allergen patch test-positive patients over a 10-year period.

The medical records of 906 patients who underwent patch testing at the hospital between 2012 and 2021 were retrospectively reviewed. Clinical data and patch tests results with clinical relevance from consultation records were extracted and analyzed.

In the 10 years, data from 996 patients patch tested with European baseline series of contact allergens were analyzed. The overall positivity rate was 64.25%. The predominant allergens investigated during the previous decade include nickel sulfate (19.60%), fragrance mix I (8.70%), potassium dichromate (5.99%), cobalt chloride (5.92%), and p-phenylenediamine base (5.92%). The trend in our study aligns with global patch test data, with nickel sulfate consistently leading as the most frequent allergen.

The study emphasizes the need for regular monitoring and updating of the standard patch test series to ensure its clinical relevance and improve patient care.

In China, the current standard for cosmetic adverse reactions related skin disease (GB/T 17149.1-1997) was jointly issued by the Ministry of Health and the State Bureau of Technical Supervision in 1997, cosmetic-allergic adverse reactions include allergic contact dermatitis and photo-allergic contact dermatitis according to this standard. The increasing use and changes in cosmetic ingredients or formula lead to a significant increase for the incidence of adverse reactions as the cosmetics industry is developing rapidly in the last 20 years. In the meantime, the clinical manifestations have become more diverse. In recent years, there have been many reports on the special manifestations for cosmetic allergy and allergen test, which provide a reference for the subsequent improvement of the diagnosis and prevention.
Humans ; Patch Tests/adverse effects* ; Dermatitis, Allergic Contact/therapy* ; Cosmetics/adverse effects* ; China ; Incidence ; Allergens/adverse effects*

OBJECTIVES: Ozone is widely applied to treat allergic skin diseases such as eczema, atopic dermatitis, and contact dermatitis. However, the specific mechanism remains unclear. This study aims to investigate the effects of ozonated oil on treating 2,4-dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB)-induced allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) and the underling mechanisms. METHODS: Besides the blank control (Ctrl) group, all other mice were treated with DNCB to establish an ACD-like mouse model and were randomized into following groups: a model group, a basal oil group, an ozonated oil group, a FcεRI-overexpressed plasmid (FcεRI-OE) group, and a FcεRI empty plasmid (FcεRI-NC) group. The basal oil group and the ozonated oil group were treated with basal oil and ozonated oil, respectively. The FcεRI-OE group and the FcεRI-NC group were intradermally injected 25 µg FcεRI overexpression plasmid and 25 µg FcεRI empty plasmid when treating with ozonated oil, respectively. We recorded skin lesions daily and used reflectance confocal microscope (RCM) to evaluate thickness and inflammatory changes of skin lesions. Hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining, real-time PCR, RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq), and immunohistochemistry were performed to detct and analyze the skin lesions. RESULTS: Ozonated oil significantly alleviated DNCB-induced ACD-like dermatitis and reduced the expressions of IFN-γ, IL-17A, IL-1β, TNF-α, and other related inflammatory factors (all P<0.05). RNA-seq analysis revealed that ozonated oil significantly inhibited the activation of the DNCB-induced FcεRI/Syk signaling pathway, confirmed by real-time PCR and immunohistochemistry (all P<0.05). Compared with the ozonated oil group and the FcεRI-NC group, the mRNA expression levels of IFN-γ, IL-17A, IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, and other inflammatory genes in the FcεRI-OE group were significantly increased (all P<0.05), and the mRNA and protein expression levels of FcεRI and Syk were significantly elevated in the FcεRI-OE group as well (all P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS Ozonated oil significantly improves ACD-like dermatitis and alleviated DNCB-induced ACD-like dermatitis via inhibiting the FcεRI/Syk signaling pathway.
Animals ; Mice ; Dinitrochlorobenzene/metabolism* ; Skin/metabolism* ; Cytokines/metabolism* ; Interleukin-17/metabolism* ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha/metabolism* ; Dermatitis, Allergic Contact/pathology* ; Dermatitis, Atopic/chemically induced* ; Signal Transduction ; RNA, Messenger/metabolism* ; Mice, Inbred BALB C

Allopurinol is the well-known first-line treatment option for symptomatic hyperuricaemia and gout. It is cost-effective particularly for the management of chronic gout. The common early side effects of allopurinol are skin rashes, diarrhoea and nausea. Meanwhile, a dangerous concerning complication is Stevens–Johnson syndrome, which can cause severe morbidity and mortality. Delayed hypersensitivity to allopurinol is rare but should be one of the differential diagnoses if a patient with underlying gout on chronic allopurinol treatment presents with skin rashes. The present case highlights the importance of a high index of suspicion in at-risk patients with underlying gout along with skin rashes on long-term allopurinol treatment to avoid unnecessary patient management.
Hypersensitivity, Delayed ; Allopurinol ; Exanthema

BACKGROUND: The Hokkaido Study on Environment and Children's Health is an ongoing study consisting of two birth cohorts of different population sizes: the Sapporo cohort and the Hokkaido cohort. Our primary objectives are to (1) examine the effects that low-level environmental chemical exposures have on birth outcomes, including birth defects and growth retardation; (2) follow the development of allergies, infectious diseases, and neurobehavioral developmental disorders, as well as perform a longitudinal observation of child development; (3) identify high-risk groups based on genetic susceptibility to environmental chemicals; and (4) identify the additive effects of various chemicals, including tobacco. METHODS: The purpose of this report is to provide an update on the progress of the Hokkaido Study, summarize recent results, and suggest future directions. In particular, this report provides the latest details from questionnaire surveys, face-to-face examinations, and a collection of biological specimens from children and measurements of their chemical exposures. RESULTS: The latest findings indicate different risk factors of parental characteristics on birth outcomes and the mediating effect between socioeconomic status and children that are small for the gestational age. Maternal serum folate was not associated with birth defects. Prenatal chemical exposure and smoking were associated with birth size and growth, as well as cord blood biomarkers, such as adiponectin, leptin, thyroid, and reproductive hormones. We also found significant associations between the chemical levels and neuro development, asthma, and allergies. CONCLUSIONS Chemical exposure to children can occur both before and after birth. Longer follow-up for children is crucial in birth cohort studies to reinforce the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease hypothesis. In contrast, considering shifts in the exposure levels due to regulation is also essential, which may also change the association to health outcomes. This study found that individual susceptibility to adverse health effects depends on the genotype. Epigenome modification of DNA methylation was also discovered, indicating the necessity of examining molecular biology perspectives. International collaborations can add a new dimension to the current knowledge and provide novel discoveries in the future.
Biomarkers/blood* ; Child ; Child Health ; Child, Preschool ; Cohort Studies ; Environmental Exposure/adverse effects* ; Environmental Health ; Environmental Pollutants/adverse effects* ; Female ; Fetal Blood/chemistry* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Growth/drug effects* ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity/etiology* ; Infant ; Japan/epidemiology* ; Male ; Neurodevelopmental Disorders/etiology* ; Pregnancy ; Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects/etiology* ; Prevalence ; Smoking/adverse effects*

Background: Oral lichen planus is an idiopathic autoimmune inflammatory condition and oral lichenoid reactions are lesions that resemble oral lichen planus clinically and histopathologically, but develop secondary to various underlying causes. Oral lichenoid reactions have been reported to be caused by contact allergy to dental materials. This study aims to describe the characteristics of patients with a clinical and/or histopathological diagnosis of oral lichen planus who underwent patch testing in Hospital Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Methods: This is a 5-year retrospective study of patients who had oral lichen planus and had undergone patch testing at the Department of Dermatology, Hospital Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia between January 2015 and Cecember 2019. Patch tests were performed with European Baseline Series and relevant extended series, which include dental and metal series as well as patients’ own products. Patch test results were recorded according to the International Contact Dermatitis Research Group recommendation. Results: There were 41 patients with oral lichen planus who underwent patch test. The median age was 56 (range 21 to 73) with 70.7% of patients being female. There were 29 (70.7%) patients who developed at least one positive reaction. The most frequent sensitizing allergens were nickel sulfate (34.1%), gold(I)sodium thiosulphate dihydrate (22.0%), fragrance mix I (19.5%), cobalt chloride (14.6%), Peru balsam (12.2%) and sodium tetrachloropalladate (II) hydrate (12.2%). Current relevance was recorded in 16 patients (39.0%) and of these patients, 12 of them had positive patch test reactions to allergens found in dental materials such as dental fillings, dental implants, orthodontic braces, dentures and dental crowns. Conclusion Contact sensitization was detected in about 70% of our patients with oral lichen planus. The most common sensitizing allergen was nickel sulfate. Current relevance was found mainly towards dental materials.
Lichen Planus, Oral--diagnosis ; Dermatitis, Allergic Contact ; Department of Dermatology, Hospital Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia)

Influenza vaccine-associated anaphylaxis is a very rare allergic reaction to vaccines, but the most concerning and life-threatening adverse reaction. Although the safety of influenza vaccines has been well documented, occasional cases of anaphylaxis in vaccinated patients have been reported. In this study, we analyzed the immunoglobulin E (IgE) response to whole influenza vaccines in a pediatric case of delayed-onset anaphylaxis after influenza vaccination. The patient showed elevated specific IgE levels against whole influenza vaccines, especially with split virion from egg-based manufacturing process. Specific IgE levels to influenza vaccines showed decreased over. We evaluated a causal relationship between influenza vaccine and anaphylaxis event by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Delayed-onset anaphylaxis after influenza vaccination can occur in children without predisposing allergic diseases. In addition, the results suggested that formulation and production system of influenza vaccines could affect the probability of severe allergic reaction to vaccines.
Anaphylaxis ; Child ; Drug Hypersensitivity ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity ; Hypersensitivity, Delayed ; Immunoglobulin E ; Immunoglobulins ; Influenza Vaccines ; Influenza, Human ; Vaccination ; Vaccines ; Virion

The aim of this work was to study effects of ketotifen fumarate (KF) on prevention of tissue damage in testes of rats with experimental autoimmune orchitis (EAO) and on the contralateral testis in a model of prolonged testicular cord torsion (TCT). Rats with EAO or TCT were injected intraperitoneally once daily with KF or saline solution (vehicle group). Incidence and severity of testicular damage were evaluated by histopathology using an EAO score or a Johnsen score. Mast cells (MC) were identified by histochemistry and quantified. In EAO model, KF significantly reduced severity of histopathological testicular damage compared to rats in the vehicle group. KF also reduced the number of testicular MC compared to vehicle group. Similarly, in TCT model, multifocal damage of the contralateral testis was observed 30 days after testicular torsion characterized by sloughing of the germinal epithelium, seminiferous tubule atrophy, and interstitial edema. Focal signs of inflammation and fibrosis of seminiferous tubular walls were also observed. In contrast, sections of contralateral testis of rats injected with KF and killed 30 days after surgery showed normal histological features. A significant decrease in the number of MC was observed in rats treated with KF compared to untreated animals. In conclusion, we demonstrated that treatment with KF reduced testicular inflammatory process and MC infiltrates in both EAO and TCT models. The results suggest a promising treatment for infertile male patients with testicular pathologies associated with inflammation and germ cell loss.
Animals ; Autoimmune Diseases/pathology* ; Cell Count ; Epididymis/pathology* ; Epididymitis/pathology* ; Histamine H1 Antagonists/pharmacology* ; Hypersensitivity, Delayed ; Immunity, Cellular/drug effects* ; Ketotifen/pharmacology* ; Male ; Mast Cells/pathology* ; Orchitis/pathology* ; Rats ; Severity of Illness Index ; Spermatic Cord Torsion/pathology* ; Testis/pathology* ; Vaccination

The present study was aimed to explore the dose-toxicity-effect relationship of Tripterygium wilfordii Hook f( TW) processed by liquorice,to establish the safe and effective therapeutic window,and further to provide scientific reference for the clinical use of TW. The toxicity and anti-inflammatory effect of six doses of raw TW and TW processed by liquorice( 0. 78,1. 56,3. 12,6. 24,12. 48,15. 60 g·kg-1) in 1-fluoro-2,4-dinitrobenzene( DNFB)-induced allergic contact dermatitis( ACD) model were mainly examined by histopathology and serum biochemistry. The liver biochemical parameters including ALT and AST,related inflammatory factors including TNF-α and IL-2,together with liver index,kidney index and the other pharmacodynamic indicators,were examined and compared. The results showed that compared with the control group,the serum levels of TNF-α and IL-2 of the model group were significantly increased( P<0. 01),which proved that the ACD model was successful. The comprehensive analysis of liver biochemical indexes,serum inflammatory factors and the other indexes showed that the safe and effective therapeutic window of TW processed by liquorice was 3. 12-12. 48 g·kg-1. The results showed the therapeutic window of TW processed by liquorice was much broader than that of raw TW. And it could provide scientific reference for the clinical rational use of TW.
Animals ; Cytokines ; blood ; Dermatitis, Allergic Contact ; drug therapy ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Glycyrrhiza ; chemistry ; Plant Extracts ; pharmacology ; Tripterygium ; chemistry