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Background: Ammonium persulfate (APS), an oxidizing agent used in hair products, manufacturing, and pool/spa water, can cause skin reactions, including allergic contact dermatitis.Objective: To characterize positive patch test reactions to APS (2.5% petrolatum).Methods: Retrospective analysis of patients tested to the North American Contact Dermatitis Group screening series from 2015 to 2018.Results: Of 10,526 patients, 193 (1.8%) had positive patch test reactions to APS. Compared with APS-negative patients, APS-positive patients were significantly more likely to be male (43.2% vs 28.0%; P < .0001); have primary hand dermatitis (30.2% vs 22.0%; P = .0064), scattered generalized dermatitis (25.5% vs 17.9%; P = .0064), or trunk dermatitis (8.9% vs 4.9%; P = .0123); and have dermatitis that is occupationally related (22.2% vs 10.9%; P < .0001). More than half of the APS-positive reactions were currently relevant (57.0%); 19 (9.8%) were related to occupation, especially hairdressers (68.4%). Swimming pools/spas (23.3%) and hair care products (19.2%) were the most common sources of APS.Limitations: Immediate reactions and follow-up testing were not captured.Conclusion: The proportion of patients positive to APS was 1.8%. APS positivity was significantly associated with male sex and hand dermatitis. Swimming pool/spa chemicals were important sources of APS exposure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Patch testing is an important diagnostic tool for suspected allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) in occupational settings.Objective: Provide an overview of occupational skin disease (OSD) and an analysis of occupational ACD in North American patients undergoing patch testing between 2001and 2016.Methods: Patients with OSD were analyzed for frequency of allergic reactions to a screening series of allergens, occupational relevance, location of skin disease, and exposure sources. Demographic, occupation, and industry information were recorded.Results: Of 38,614 patients evaluated, 4471 (11.6%) had OSD, of whom 3150 (70.5%) had ACD. The most common occupationally related allergens included rubber accelerators, preservatives, and bisphenol A epoxy resin. Hands (75.8%), arms (30.0%), and face (15.9%) were common sites of dermatitis. The occupations most affected were service workers and machine operators.Limitations: Our cohort may not reflect the general working population.Conclusion: This study identified common occupational allergens, exposure sources, and occupations/industries at risk. This information may help the clinician evaluate and manage patients with occupational contact dermatitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Résumé But Étudier les caractéristiques cliniques, étiologiques et allergologiques de l'eczéma professionnel, évaluer le retentissement de cette dermatose sur l'aptitude au travail et évaluer la pertinence des tests épicutanés de la batterie standard européenne. Méthodes Une étude rétrospective ayant porté sur 215 cas d'eczéma de contact allergique d'origine professionnelle colligés auprès du service de médecine du travail et des maladies professionnelles du CHU La Rabta entre 2000 et 2015. Résultats L'étude a concerné 215 salariés à prédominance masculine (71,2 %). L'âge moyen était de 41,75 ans. Le secteur le plus pourvoyeur d'eczéma était le secteur de BTP (32,6 %), suivi par le secteur de santé (13,5 %) et de textile (8,8 %). Les lésions cutanées sont dominées par les placards érythémateux squameux (63,8 %) siégeant essentiellement au niveau des mains (61,3 %). Les allergènes les plus incriminés étaient les métaux et les additifs du caoutchouc. Les tests épicutanés ont été jugés pertinents dans 66,5 % des cas. Cette dermatose a justifié un aménagement du poste de travail chez la moitié des patients et une mutation à un autre poste pour 43,3 % des cas. Conclusion L'eczéma de contact allergique pose de nombreux problèmes en termes d'aptitude et de prise en charge. L'adoption de mesures préventives adaptées et concomitantes d'une prise en charge médicale est le seul garant du maintien du salarié à son poste de travail. Abstract Objective To assess the clinical, aetiological and allergological characteristics of occupational eczema, to assess the effect of this dermatitis on ability to work, and to evaluate the relevance of European baseline series. Methods This is a retrospective study of occupational eczema cases collected from the Occupational Medicine department at the University Hospital of La Rabta between 2000 and 2015. Results The study involved 215 working people who were predominantly male (71.2%). The mean age was 41.75 years. The sectors with the highest proportion of eczema were the construction sector (32.6%), followed by the health sector (13.5%) and the textile sector (8.8%). The main cause for consultation was itchy squamous red patches (63.8%), chiefly on the hands (61.3%). The most common offending allergens were metals and rubber additives. Patch tests were deemed relevant in 66.5% of cases. Modification of the workplace was warranted for half of the study population, and transfer to another workplace was proposed to 43.3% of the affected subjects. Conclusion Occupational eczema poses a number of problems in terms of therapeutic skills and management. The adoption of appropriate preventive measures together with concomitant medical care is the only means of ensuring that employees remain in their workplace. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

L'eczéma de contact systémique au nickel est rare. Nous rapportons un cas d'eczéma de contact systémique au nickel d'une canule métallique de trachéotomie. Patiente de 84 ans avec aux antécédents une intolérance aux bijoux fantaisie. A présenté 48 heures après la mise en place d'une canule de trachéotomie une éruption érythémateuse prurigineuse généralisée. Le test au dimethylglyoxime effectué sur la canule de trachéotomie était positif. Les tests épicutanés confirmaient la sensibilisation au nickel. Le diagnostic retenu était celui de dermatite de contact systémique au nickel de la canule de trachéotomie par libération transcutanée de sulfate de nickel favorisé par la rupture de la continuité de la peau en regard de la plaie de la trachéotomie. Nickel-induced systemic contact dermatitis is rare. Herein we report a case of nickel-induced systemic contact dermatitis following use of a metal tracheostomy cannula. n 84-year-old female patient with a history of intolerance to costume jewelry presented diffuse pruritic erythematous rash 72 hours after tracheostomy cannula insertion. Dimethylglyoxime testing of the metal tracheostomy cannula was positive and patch testing confirmed nickel sensitization. This is thus a case of nickel-induced systemic contact dermatitis caused by the release of nickel sulfate from a metal tracheostomy cannula that was resorbed via the tracheostomy lesion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The flow of incompressible fluids through porous media plays a crucial role in many technological applications such as enhanced oil recovery and geological carbon-dioxide sequestration. The flow within numerous natural and synthetic porous materials that contain multiple scales of pores cannot be adequately described by the classical Darcy equations. It is for this reason that mathematical models for fluid flow in media with multiple scales of pores have been proposed in the literature. However, these models are analytically intractable for realistic problems. In this paper, a stabilized mixed four-field finite element formulation is presented to study the flow of an incompressible fluid in porous media exhibiting double porosity/permeability. The stabilization terms and the stabilization parameters are derived in a mathematically consistent manner, and the computationally convenient equal-order interpolation of all the field variables is shown to be stable. A systematic error analysis is performed on the resulting stabilized weak formulation. Representative problems, patch tests and numerical convergence analyses are performed to illustrate the performance and convergence behavior of the proposed mixed formulation in the discrete setting. The accuracy of numerical solutions is assessed using the mathematical properties satisfied by the solutions of this double porosity/permeability model. Moreover, it is shown that the proposed framework can perform well under transient conditions and that it can capture well-known instabilities such as viscous fingering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Résumé Les allergènes atteignant la surface oculaire sont multiples, générant des mécanismes allergiques différents. On distingue des haptènes, des aéroallergènes et plus rarement des aliments. Abstract Numerous types of allergen reach the ocular surface where they trigger various allergic mechanisms. These include haptens, aeroallergens and, more rarely, food particles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Résumé Et si l’on passait à côté d’un diagnostic en raison d’un test faussement négatif ? S’il est habituel de s’interroger sur la pertinence des tests et de suspecter un « faux-positif », nous oublions parfois d’évoquer la possibilité d’un test faussement négatif. À chaque étape de réalisation des tests, certaines erreurs peuvent être évitées afin de limiter le risque de faux négatifs. And if we miss a diagnosis because of a false negative test? If it is usual to question the relevance of the tests and suspect a “false positive”, we sometimes forget to mention the possibility of a false negative test. At each stage of the tests, certain errors can be avoided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The paper concerns two-dimensional nine-node quadrilateral elements based on the Green strain and the two-level approximations of strains. These approximations reduce locking well for regular meshes but cannot prevent the drop of accuracy when the side and central nodes are shifted from the middle positions. To reduce the deterioration of accuracy when nodes are shifted, we assess the corrected shape functions of Celia and Gray (1984 [10]) as a replacement for the standard isoparametric ones. In Celia and Gray (1984 [10]), the corrected shape functions were tested for an eight-node element, the heat conduction equation and the 4×4 integration. Here, we test their applicability to nine-node elements for plane elasticity and the 3×3-point integration. We modify and examine four elements: QUAD9⁎⁎ (Huang and Hinton, 1986 [15]), MITC9 [1] and ours 9-AS (Panasz and Wisniewski, 2008 [21]) and MITC9i (Wisniewski and Panasz, 2012 [26]). The elements are subjected to a range of tests involving several types of mesh distortions, to confirm passing of various forms of the patch test, to prove the absence of locking as well as to establish their coarse mesh accuracy and sensitivity to mesh distortions. We show that all the tested elements benefit from using the corrected shape functions, but still remain significant differences in their performance. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Copyright of Revue Francaise d'Allergologie is the property of Elsevier B.V. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Background: Patch testing to a standard screening series of allergens in combination with supplemental cosmetic allergens is often used to diagnose allergic contact dermatitis due to personal care products. Objective: To report results of patch testing to skin care product allergens contained in a standard series and a supplemental cosmetic series and to compare efficacy of this combined series in detecting positive reactions to personal care product allergens with the efficacy of various standard screening series. Methods: Positive reaction rates to skin care product allergens were tabulated for patients who underwent patch testing to both standard and cosmetic series allergens at Mayo Clinic between 2000 and 2007. Data were compared with skin care allergens detected on standard screening series, including the thin-layer rapid use epicutaneous (TRUE) test. Results: Of 945 patch-tested patients, 68.4% had at least one positive reaction and 47.3% had at least two positive reactions. Also, 49.4% of patients reacted to at least one preservative; 31.2% reacted to at least one fragrance/botanical additive. Compared with use of our standard series and cosmetic series, use of the TRUE test would have missed 22.5% of patients with preservative allergy, 11.3% with fragrance/botanical allergy, and 17.3% with vehicle allergy. Limitations: Various allergens tested over time, patch test reading by residents, and lack of confirmation of allergen in personal care products. Conclusion: Standard patch-test screening series miss a substantial number of patients with skin care product ingredient allergy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The etiology of pompholyx (dyshidrotic eczema) is a challenging diagnostic problem. The only established etiological link is between dyshidrosis and tinea pedis. Here, we report the results of a review of the causes of dyshidrosis in our patient population, focussing on allergic aspects. This was a prospective study carried out between June, 2003 and May, 2004. Epidemiological and clinical data were obtained for all the patients. They all had patch tests with the European patch test series. Sixty-two patients with pompholyx were included. Gender distribution was equal and the mean age of the patients was 31 years. Tinea pedis was reported in 35.5% of the patients. The patch tests were positive in 35.5% and relevant in 19% of the cases. The statistical analysis showed, on one hand, a significant relationship between gender and a positive patch test to nickel, and on the other hand, between work in a hot, wet environment and a positive patch test to chromium. These results revealed evidence of an increased frequency of tinea pedis and of sensitization to metals in patients with pompholyx compared to the general population. This suggests that in the development of pompholyx, sensitization to metals may be involved in a multifactorial process that includes both environmental and personal factors. However, we could not demonstrate a causal relationship between metal sensitization and pompholyx. Nevertheless, common factors might be involved in generating these two skin conditions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background: Hypersensitivity reactions to platinum salts are potentially lethal adverse events in chemotherapy, and often require its discontinuation. Several preventive procedures have been proposed: premedication, desensitization regimens, or replacement with a different platinum salt. Objective: We therefore assessed the value of skin tests with platinum salts. A positive result would confirm their responsibility in hypersensitivity reaction, whereas a negative result would identify candidates for continuation of therapy using a different platinum salt. Methods: Patch tests, prick tests, and intradermal tests with cisplatin, carboplatin, and oxaliplatin were performed in 21 patients. Results: Skin tests were positive in 14 of 21 cases. Prick tests were positive in 5 cases with the suspected platinum salt. Intradermal tests were positive in 12 of 19 cases, always when the hypersensitivity occurred less than 2 hours after infusion. Cross-reactions were observed in 4 cases. Delayed readings of skin tests at 24 hours and 48 hours were positive in 3 patients. Patch tests were negative in all the 21 patients tested. Replacement with another platinum salt was performed in 13 patients using one that gave a negative skin test. A relapse of symptoms occurred in 1 patient. Conclusion: Intradermal tests are particularly indicated for the diagnosis of immediate hypersensitivity reaction. Their good negative predictive value allows safe retreatment by detecting a potential cross-reaction. Clinical implications: The frequency of cross-reactions among cisplatin, carboplatin, and oxaliplatin has not been clearly established. Skin tests allow different platinum salts to be given and avoid discontinuation of chemotherapy. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The diagnosis of allergic contact dermatitis to cosmetics is based on a careful history (anamnesis), taking into account all the cosmetic products that have been used by the patient, on inspection of the clinical symptoms and localisation of the lesions, and on the performance of epicutaneous tests or patch tests. In addition, other types of tests such as open and semi-open testing with products having a certain irritant potential as well as repeated open application tests (ROAT) on the forearm can also be very useful in the diagnosis of contact dermatitis caused by cosmetic products. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Aim of the study. – The capacity of fungi to induce eczema in head and neck dermatitis has already been studied. Malassezia has often been implicated in two other dermatitis of the cephalic region (seborrhoeic dermatitis and sebopsoriasis). We have explored the cellular and IgE dependant reactions to different groups of fungi in these three dermatitis using “patch” and “prick” tests. Tested allergens were: Alternaria, Penicillium, Aspergillus, Cladosporium, Trichophyton, Epidermophyton, Candida albicans, Malassezia, Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Material and methods. – Seventy persons including 42 females (60%) and 28 males (40%) aged 40 years old in average were distributed in four groups: Head and neck dermatitis (24 patients), seborrheic dermatitis of the face (21 patients) and sebopsoriasis of the face (10 patients) compared to 15 controls without these dermatoses. Results and conclusions. – Globally, in “prick” and “patch” tests, yeasts had the highest number of positivity comparing to the two other groups. Malassezia was the leader in “prick tests”. In “patch tests”, the global results showed a positivity rate, which was clearly lower than those in “prick tests”. Detailed analysis of the results revealed that in the head and neck dermatitis the highest number of positive “patch tests” for all of these allergens is found. For the three other groups, no significant difference for these two techniques for any of these allergens has been detected. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Occupational dermatitis (irritant dermatitis, contact urticaria and contact eczema) is frequent among healthcare workers. Irritant hand dermatitis, the most common occupational dermatitis, occurs often in individual who work in a humid environment, who handle disinfectants, and who are required to wash their hands frequently; atopic dermatitis is a risk factor for this condition. Natural rubber latex present in rubber gloves is the most common cause of contact urticaria. Contact eczema can be induced by rubber accelerators (for example, thiurams) present in gloves, and also by disinfectants (glutaraldehyde, dodecyldimethylammonium), disinfectants and detergents, hand creams, acrylates (in dentists), and echography gels. Nurses sometimes develop contact dermatitis to drugs they handle; these allergies should be diagnosed by appropriate skin testing because sensitized individuals may develop a severe, generalized cutaneous adverse reaction if they are subsequently exposed systemically to the sensitizing drug. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM) allows non-invasive visualization of human skinin vivo. It has been used to describe the histopathological features of acute contact dermatitis (CD). This work was designed to investigate the kinetics of both allergic and irritant CD (ACD and ICD)in vivo. Eighteen subjects with a prior diagnosis of ACD were patch tested with the specific allergen sodium lauryl sulfate as an irritant, and appropriate controls. RCM, transepidermal water loss (TEWL), and fluorescence excitation spectroscopy (FES) were performed at several time points within 2 wk after patch removal. After removal of the Finn chambers at 48 h, superficial epidermal changes, primarily involving the stratum corneum, and increased epidermal thickness were mainly present in ICD. ACD, on the other hand, showed microvesicle formation peaking at 96 h following patch removal. Both ACD and ICD showed exocytosis and similar degrees of spongiosis on RCM. TEWL and FES demonstrated a significant difference between ACD and ICD. RCM, TEWL, and FES are valuable non-invasive tools to quantitatively study the kinetics of the pathophysiology of acute CD reactionsin vivoand monitor the changes at a cellular level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Contact dermatitis to gold has rarely been reported. This precious metal is generally considered as inert, insoluble and resistant to corrosion. Nevertheless, gold salts have a strong potential for sensitization. This condition can occur after contact with gold jewellery and dental alloys, after systemic therapy with gold salts and after occupational contact. The lesions may be expressed as contact dermatitis on the face, ear, neck and/or fingers, and as lichen planus and/or lichenoid stomatitis. The dermatitis is usually not very irritating and the lesions are rarely persistent. Diagnosis is based on the clinical history and examination, on the nature of the exposure sources, and on the results of patch tests with gold sodium thiosulfate (GSTS) at 0.5% in petrolatum. The patch test is read on days 2 and 3 and again after 1 and 3 weeks. Allergen avoidance can be expensive and tiresome, and improvement is not guaranteed. We report the case of a female patient who came to us complaining of burning in her mouth. She had polymetallism and lichenoid lesions facing gold tooth crowns. Patch tests were positive to GSTS at 72 h and at 1 week. Replacement of the gold crowns led to total disappearance of her symptoms within 1 year. Local factors, including humidity, temperature, acid pH, abrasion and contact with substance such as amino acids, bring about the liberation of the sensitizing metallic salts, which may be enhanced by galvanic corrosion secondary to the polymetallism. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Résumé Cet article décrit les différentes manifestations cliniques des réactions d’hypersensibilité retardées cutanées que l’on peut rencontrer avec les épices et les aromates. Leurs aspects cliniques, les épices et aromates potentiellement responsables et les éléments de diagnostic y sont détaillés. La recherche de leur usage doit faire partie de l’interrogatoire. This paper reviews the different clinical aspects of cutaneous delayed hypersensitivity that can occur with spices and aromates. The clinical aspects, spices and aromates frequently responsible and the diagnostic approach are described. Investigation of their use should be included in the usual questioning of patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Résumé: L’allergie de contact aux cosmétiques est en perpétuelle augmentation. Son exploration n’est pas facile et est déterminante pour le patient qui doit savoir quels ingrédients éviter. Dés l’interrogatoire il faudra rechercher tous les produits ű cachés Ƈ par le patient car ils peuvent paraître peu imputables. La lecture de la liste des ingrédients, des tests d’application répétée ou d’usage, dans certains cas des prick-tests ou de tests avec les ingrédients fournis par le fabriquant permettent de débusquer l’allergène. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revue Francaise d'Allergologie is the property of Elsevier B.V. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

An Isogeometric Boundary Element Method for solving three-dimensional boundary-value problems of classical linear elasticity theory is proposed. The method is developed as a generalization of the author's earlier work on Laplace's equation to Navier's equations. As a result the proposed method features (i) proper basis functions for approximating Dirichlet and Neumann data, (i i) high-order collocation schemes for weakly singular, singular, and hyper-singular integral operators, (i i i) state-of-the-art numerical integration schemes capable of handling geometries with disparate dimensions, (i v) well-conditioned linear algebraic systems, with the condition number independent of the mesh size. Boundary Element Patch Tests, as extensions of concepts widely used for finite element methods, are also introduced. It is shown how these tests can be used to assess the veracity of boundary element formulations and numerical integration schemes, implementations, and geometric precision of Computer Aided Design models. The method is applied to two challenging case studies, representative of industrial applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Petrolatum is a common moisturizer often used in the prevention of skin infections after ambulatory surgeries and as a maintenance therapy of atopic dermatitis (AD). However, the molecular responses induced by petrolatum in the skin have never been assessed. Objective We sought to define the cutaneous molecular and structural effects induced by petrolatum. Methods Thirty-six healthy subjects and 13 patients with moderate AD (mean SCORAD score, 39) were studied by using RT-PCR, gene arrays, immunohistochemistry, and immunofluorescence performed on control skin, petrolatum-occluded skin, and skin occluded with a Finn chamber only. Results Significant upregulations of antimicrobial peptides (S100A8/fold change [FCH], 13.04; S100A9/FCH, 11.28; CCL20/FCH, 8.36; PI3 [elafin]/FCH, 15.40; lipocalin 2/FCH, 6.94, human β-defensin 2 [DEFB4A]/FCH, 4.96; P < .001 for all) and innate immune genes ( IL6 , IL8 , and IL1B ; P < .01) were observed in petrolatum-occluded skin compared with expression in both control and occluded-only skin. Application of petrolatum also induced expression of key barrier differentiation markers (filaggrin and loricrin), increased stratum corneum thickness, and significantly reduced T-cell infiltrates in the setting of “normal-appearing” or nonlesional AD skin, which is known to harbor barrier and immune defects. Conclusions Petrolatum robustly modulates antimicrobials and epidermal differentiation barrier measures. These data shed light on the beneficial molecular responses of petrolatum in barrier-defective states, such as AD and postoperative wound care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Peristomal dermatitis is a common problem in patients with ostomies that is a source of considerable morbidity. Irritant contact dermatitis is most common, but allergic contact dermatitis can also occur. Because of the lack of published reports on patch testing for this indication, we undertook a retrospective study of patch testing results in patients with suspected peristomal allergic contact dermatitis. Objective: We sought to describe our patch testing experience with patients referred with peristomal dermatitis. Methods: This was a retrospective review of medical records of patients with ostomies and peristomal dermatitis who underwent patch testing in the Mayo Clinic Departments of Dermatology in Jacksonville, FL; Rochester, MN; and Scottsdale, AZ, during a 10-year period (2000-2010). Results: Ten patients with peristomal dermatitis were referred for patch testing (6 in Minnesota, 2 in Florida, and 2 in Arizona). Patients were patch tested to the materials used in their stoma devices, to the standard series, and in some cases to supplemental series. All 10 had at least one allergic patch test reaction, most commonly to stoma paste (3 of 10 patients). Limitations: Retrospective nature of study via chart review is a limitation. Conclusion: Patch testing is a useful tool for identification of allergens in patients with peristomal dermatitis. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]