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Introduction. The problem of contact allergy can affect approximately 40% of adults and 20-30% of children and adolescents. Patch tests are the "gold standard" in the diagnosis of contact allergy. In view of the frequent coexistence of allergic diseases and polisensitization, a thorough allergology diagnosis is of great importance. Aim. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of sensitization to haptens and inhalant and food allergens among patients diagnosed in the direction of contact allergy. Material and methods. In the study a retrospective analysis of medical records of patients diagnosed in the direction of contact allergy was crried out. The inclusion criterion of patients in the study group were performed patch tests with a set of European Series Basic. The study comprised 105 patients, including 82 women aged 18-77 and 23 men aged 19-78. Results. In the test group patients with chronic urticaria (n=32) and allergic contact eczema (n=27) were prevalent. The coexistence of several types of diseases was found in 37.1% of patients. Positive patch tests were obtained in 48% of patients, the prick tests with inhalant allergens in 44% and food allergens in 18% of patients. The strongest sensitizing of haptens were metals, of inhalant allergens: dust mites, weeds and grass, and of food allergens: celery, citrus fruits, rye flour and potatoes. In a significant proportion of patients a cross-sensitization to nickel, chromium and cobalt was frequently observed. Conclusions. Due to the complex etiology of allergic diseases in patients with suspected allergy a detailed diagnostics should be carried out in order to enable identification of allergenic substances and their elimination from the patient's environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction. Multiple factors are involved in the development of atopic dermatitis (AD). Food allergens and dietary factors are considered to be possible triggers of the inflammatory reactions and exacerbations during AD. Aim. Assessment of usefulness of patch tests with food allergens in the diagnosis and therapy in adults suffering from atopic dermatitis. Material and methods. Thirty adults (19 women, 11 men, mean age 34.9±4.3 yrs) with diagnosed moderate/severe atopic dermatitis were enrolled into the study. The skin was scored by the SCORAD scale at the beginning of the study (SCORAD I). Each of subjects underwent skin prick tests with the most common inhalation and food allergens. Serum concentrations of allergen-specific IgE against food allergens were assessed. Patch tests with food allergens were applied to the skin of the back of each patient. The results of the diagnostic tests were used to prepare recommended the elimination diets. After 1 month of diet, the skin was reevaluated (SCORAD II). Results. Two (6.7%) patients experienced food anaphylaxis in the past, 9 (30%) showed exacerbations of AD due to ingestion of spices, 6 (20%) chocolate, 5 (16.7%) milk/alcohol, 3 (10%) of hen eggs/fruits. Four (13.3%) patients had positive skin prick tests with food allergens. Six (20%) patients had elevated serum food-specific IgE concentrations (≥0.7 kU/l; ≥class 2). Two patients showed positive APT tests, but only one benefited from the elimination diet (Δ SCORAD 10 pts). Conclusions. Patch tests with food allergens rarely facilitate identification of the trigger factor responsible for the exacerbation/persistence of AD, but their safety and relatively low cost cause that this procedure may be useful as one of the tools in the diagnostics and treatment of moderate/severe AD in adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]