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BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: It has been speculated that the prevalence of metal allergy may be higher in patients with implant failure. We compared the prevalence and cause of revisions following total hip arthroplasty (THA) in dermatitis patients suspected to have contact allergy and in patients in general with THA. Furthermore, we compared the prevalence of metal allergy in dermatitis patients with and without THA. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The Danish Hip Arthroplasty Registry (DHAR) contained detailed information on 90,697 operations. The Gentofte patch-test database contained test results for patients suspected of having allergic contact dermatitis (n = 18,794). Cases (n = 356) were defined as patch-tested dermatitis patients who also had primary THA performed. Two age- and sex-matched controls (n = 712) from the patch-test database were sought for each case. RESULTS: The prevalence of revision was similar in cases (12%) and in patients from the DHAR (13%). The prevalence of metal allergy was similar in cases and controls. However, the prevalence of metal allergy was lower in cases who were patch-tested after operation (6%) than in those who were patch-tested before operation (16%) (OR = 2.9; 95% CI = 1-8). INTERPRETATION: We found that the risk of surgical revision was not increased in patients with metal allergies and that the risk of metal allergy was not increased in cases who were operated, in comparison to controls. Despite some important study limitations, our observations add to the evidence that the risk of complications in metal allergic patients seems limited. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Psoriasis vulgaris could be associated with the filaggrin null genotype since certain known susceptibility loci for psoriasis are shared with susceptibility loci for atopic dermatitis. Furthermore, filaggrin expression is lowered in psoriatic skin lesions but normally expressed in uninvolved skin. So far five relatively small patient-based case-control studies have rejected a possible association between psoriasis and the two most prevalent filaggrin null mutations, 2282del4 and R501X. Objectives To reinvestigate a possible association between psoriasis and filaggrin null mutation status by using cross-sectional general population questionnaire data. Also, to perform a meta-analysis including published studies that investigated the relation between filaggrin gene mutations R501X and 2282del4, respectively, and psoriasis vulgaris. Methods Between June 2006 and May 2008, a cross-sectional study was performed in the general population in Copenhagen. A random sample of 7931 subjects aged 18-69 years was invited to participate in a general health examination including a questionnaire and 3471 (43.7%) participated. A total of 3335 (96.1%) individuals were filaggrin genotyped for the 2282del4 and R501X mutations. A meta-analysis was undertaken to investigate the relation between filaggrin gene mutations and psoriasis vulgaris. Results The prevalence of self-reported psoriasis was 6.7% among the 3240 respondents. The prevalence of the R501X and 2282del4 filaggrin null genotypes was 9.3% in subjects who reported psoriasis and 8.0% in subjects who did not report psoriasis (OR = 1.28; 95% CI = 0.74-1.89; P = 0.78). The meta-analysis found no association between the filaggrin null genotypes R501X and 2282del4 and psoriasis (OR = 1.04; 95% CI = 0.81-1.35). Conclusions Psoriasis was not associated with the R501X and 2282del4 filaggrin null genotypes in a general population study and in a meta-analysis on published studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]