BACKGROUND: Ammonium and potassium persulfates may induce a variety of cutaneous and respiratory diseases. The precise underlying mechanisms, however, are unclear. OBJECTIVE: To describe a hairdresser, who developed contact dermatitis, rhinoconjuntivitis, and bronchial asthma of delayed onset after occupational exposure to hair bleaches containing persulfate salts and to provide evidence for a common T-cell mediated mechanism responsible for the clinical manifestations. METHODS: We performed skin testing, routine histologic and immunohistochemical examination of the skin reaction after prick testing, lymphocyte proliferation analysis, nasal challenge test, and pulmonary function testing. RESULTS: The causative role of bleaching powder and ammonium persulfate was demonstrated by case history, skin tests, and a nasal challenge test. Patch tests produced a delayed cutaneous reaction to ammonium persulfate confirming contact sensitization. Prick tests with bleaching powder and ammonium persulfate were negative at 15 minutes but revealed a late skin reaction with a papule at the prick sites after 24 hours. Histologic examination of this late reaction demonstrated a perivascular infiltration comprising predominantly T lymphocytes. Further, a significant proliferation of T cells to bleaching powder was reproducibly found by a lymphocyte proliferation analysis. Nasal challenge test with bleaching powder showed a significant reduction of air flow after 24 hours. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that immunologic mechanism with direct involvement of T cells may not only play an important role in the pathogenesis of the cutaneous but also in the respiratory and rhinoconjunctival reactions.
BACKGROUND:Ammonium and potassium persulfates may induce a variety of cutaneous and respiratory diseases. The precise underlying mechanisms, however, are unclear. OBJECTIVE: To describe a hairdresser, who developed contact dermatitis, rhinoconjuntivitis, and bronchial asthma of delayed onset after occupational exposure to hair bleaches containing persulfate salts and to provide evidence for a common T-cell mediated mechanism responsible for the clinical manifestations. METHODS: We performed skin testing, routine histologic and immunohistochemical examination of the skin reaction after prick testing, lymphocyte proliferation analysis, nasal challenge test, and pulmonary function testing. RESULTS: The causative role of bleaching powder and ammonium persulfate was demonstrated by case history, skin tests, and a nasal challenge test. Patch tests produced a delayed cutaneous reaction to ammonium persulfate confirming contact sensitization. Prick tests with bleaching powder and ammonium persulfate were negative at 15 minutes but revealed a late skin reaction with a papule at the prick sites after 24 hours. Histologic examination of this late reaction demonstrated a perivascular infiltration comprising predominantly T lymphocytes. Further, a significant proliferation of T cells to bleaching powder was reproducibly found by a lymphocyte proliferation analysis. Nasal challenge test with bleaching powder showed a significant reduction of air flow after 24 hours. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that immunologic mechanism with direct involvement of T cells may not only play an important role in the pathogenesis of the cutaneous but also in the respiratory and rhinoconjunctival reactions.
Authors: M Britschgi; U C Steiner; S Schmid; J P Depta; G Senti; A Bircher; C Burkhart; N Yawalkar; W J Pichler Journal: J Clin Invest Date: 2001-06 Impact factor: 14.808
Authors: M H Foss-Skiftesvik; L Winther; H F Mosbech; P S Skov; M S Opstrup; H Søsted; C Zachariae; J D Johansen; C R Johnsen Journal: Clin Transl Allergy Date: 2016-07-21 Impact factor: 5.871