TY - JOUR

T1 - Contact allergy to rubber accelerators in consecutively patch tested Danish eczema patients

T2 - A retrospective observational study from 1990 to 2019

AU - Kursawe Larsen, Christoffer

AU - Schwensen, Jakob F.B.

AU - Zachariae, Claus

AU - Johansen, Jeanne D.

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2023 The Authors. Contact Dermatitis published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

PY - 2024

Y1 - 2024

N2 - Background: Rubber accelerators are used in the production of rubber gloves and may cause contact allergy. Objectives: To estimate long-term trend and prevalence of contact allergy to rubber accelerators for a 30-year period in Denmark, high-risk occupations, and exposures. Methods: Data from all patients with contact dermatitis consecutively patch tested at the department of Skin and Allergy Gentofte hospital with the rubber accelerators from the European baseline series (EBS) from 1990 to 2019, were analysed. Further, patients under suspicion of rubber accelerator contact allergy were additionally patch-tested with rubber accelerators from the specialised rubber series from 2005 to 2019 and these were additional extracted. Results: The overall prevalence of contact allergy to one or more of the rubber accelerators from the EBS series was 2.7% with a significant decline in the first 12-years, followed by a stable frequency in the past 18-years. Associations with occupational contact dermatitis, hand dermatitis, and leg/foot dermatitis were found. Wet-work occupations were most often affected and gloves the most frequent exposure. Conclusions: Contact allergy to one or more of the rubber accelerators from the EBS is frequent and has been unchanged for several decades, which calls for prevention.

AB - Background: Rubber accelerators are used in the production of rubber gloves and may cause contact allergy. Objectives: To estimate long-term trend and prevalence of contact allergy to rubber accelerators for a 30-year period in Denmark, high-risk occupations, and exposures. Methods: Data from all patients with contact dermatitis consecutively patch tested at the department of Skin and Allergy Gentofte hospital with the rubber accelerators from the European baseline series (EBS) from 1990 to 2019, were analysed. Further, patients under suspicion of rubber accelerator contact allergy were additionally patch-tested with rubber accelerators from the specialised rubber series from 2005 to 2019 and these were additional extracted. Results: The overall prevalence of contact allergy to one or more of the rubber accelerators from the EBS series was 2.7% with a significant decline in the first 12-years, followed by a stable frequency in the past 18-years. Associations with occupational contact dermatitis, hand dermatitis, and leg/foot dermatitis were found. Wet-work occupations were most often affected and gloves the most frequent exposure. Conclusions: Contact allergy to one or more of the rubber accelerators from the EBS is frequent and has been unchanged for several decades, which calls for prevention.

KW - contact allergy

KW - contact dermatitis

KW - hand dermatitis

KW - MOAHLFA

KW - occupational skin disease

KW - rubber accelerators

KW - rubber gloves

U2 - 10.1111/cod.14421

DO - 10.1111/cod.14421

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 37735996

AN - SCOPUS:85171653153

VL - 90

SP - 116

EP - 125

JO - Contact Dermatitis. Supplement

JF - Contact Dermatitis. Supplement

SN - 1396-6669

IS - 2

ER -