Daan Dittmar1, Wolfgang Uter2, Andrea Bauer3, Ana B Fortina4, Andreas J Bircher5, Magdalena Czarnecka-Operacz6, Aleksandra Dugonik7, Peter Elsner8, Rosella Gallo9, Sharizan A Ghaffar10, Anna Giménez-Arnau11, Graham A Johnston12, Beata Kręcisz13, Francesca L Filon14, Thomas Rustemeyer15, Anna Sadowska-Przytocka6, Javier Sánchez-Pérez16, Axel Schnuch17, Dagmar Simon18, Radoslaw Spiewak19, Philipp Spring20, Maria T Corradin21, Skaidra Valiukevičienė22,23, Marko Vok24, Elke Weisshaar25, Mark Wilkinson26, Marie L Schuttelaar1. 1. University of Groningen, University Medical Centre Groningen, Department of Dermatology, 9700 RB Groningen, The Netherlands. 2. Department of Medical Informatics, Biometry and Epidemiology, University of Erlangen/Nürnberg, 91054 Erlangen, Germany. 3. Department of Dermatology, University Allergy Centre, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technical University of Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany. 4. Dermatology Unit, Department of Paediatrics, University of Padova, 35137 Padova, Italy. 5. Allergy Unit, Department of Dermatology, University Hospital, 4031 Basel, Switzerland. 6. Dermatology Department, University of Medical Sciences, 60-355 Poznan, Poland. 7. Department of Dermatology, University Medical Centre Maribor, 2000 Maribor, Slovenia. 8. Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Jena, 07743 Jena, Germany. 9. Section of Dermatology, DISSAL - Department of Health Sciences, University of Genoa, 16132 Genoa, Italy. 10. Department of Dermatology, Ninewells Hospital and Medical School, Dundee DD1 9SY, UK. 11. Department of Dermatology, Hospital del Mar. Universitat Autònoma and Pompeu Fabra, 08003 Barcelona, Spain. 12. Department of Dermatology, Leicester Royal Infirmary, Leicester, LE1 5WW, UK. 13. Faculty of Medicine and Health Science, The Jan Kochanowski University, 25-317 Kielce, Poland. 14. Unit of Occupational Medicine, University of Trieste, 34129 Trieste, Italy. 15. Department of Dermatology, Free University of Amsterdam, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands. 16. Dermatology Department, Hospital Universitario de la Princesa, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria la Princesa (IIS-IP), 28006 Madrid, Spain. 17. Information Network of Departments of Dermatology at the University of Göttingen, 37075 Göttingen, Germany. 18. Department of Dermatology, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, 3010 Bern, Switzerland. 19. Department of Experimental Dermatology and Cosmetology, Jagiellonian University Medical College, 30-688 Krakow, Poland. 20. Department of Dermatology, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois, 1011 Lausanne, Switzerland. 21. Department of Dermatology, Hospital of Pordenone, 33170 Pordenone, Italy. 22. Department of Skin and Venereal Diseases, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, 44307 Kaunas, Lithuania. 23. Lithuanian University of Health Sciences Hospital, 50009 Kaunas, Lithuania. 24. Dermatovenerološka ambulanta, 6310 Izola, Slovenia. 25. Department of Clinical Social Medicine, Occupational and Environmental Dermatology, University Hospital Heidelberg, 69117 Germany. 26. Dermatology, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Leeds LS7 4SA, UK.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Polysensitization, defined as being allergic to three or more haptens from the European baseline series, is considered to reflect increased susceptibility to developing a contact allergy, and is likely to be associated with an impaired quality of life. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the prevalences of polysensitization across Europe and to analyse factors associated with polysensitization. METHODS: Patch test data collected by the European Surveillance System on Contact Allergies (ESSCA; www.essca-dc.org) in consecutively patch tested patients from January 2009 to December 2014, comprising 11 countries and 57 departments, were retrospectively analysed. RESULTS: A total of 86 416 patients were available for analysis, showing a standardized prevalence of polysensitization of 7.02%, ranging from 12.7% (Austria) to 4.6% (Italy). Allergen pairs with the strongest association are reported for the total population, for South Europe, and for North/Central Europe. Overall, polysensitized patients showed a higher percentage of extreme (+++) positive patch test reactions than oligosensitized patients. Female sex, occupational dermatitis and age > 40 years were risk factors for polysensitization. CONCLUSIONS: The varying prevalences of polysensitization across Europe most likely reflect differences in patient characteristics and referral patterns between departments. Known risk factors for polysensitization are confirmed in a European dermatitis population.
BACKGROUND: Polysensitization, defined as being allergic to three or more haptens from the European baseline series, is considered to reflect increased susceptibility to developing a contact allergy, and is likely to be associated with an impaired quality of life. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the prevalences of polysensitization across Europe and to analyse factors associated with polysensitization. METHODS: Patch test data collected by the European Surveillance System on Contact Allergies (ESSCA; www.essca-dc.org) in consecutively patch tested patients from January 2009 to December 2014, comprising 11 countries and 57 departments, were retrospectively analysed. RESULTS: A total of 86 416 patients were available for analysis, showing a standardized prevalence of polysensitization of 7.02%, ranging from 12.7% (Austria) to 4.6% (Italy). Allergen pairs with the strongest association are reported for the total population, for South Europe, and for North/Central Europe. Overall, polysensitized patients showed a higher percentage of extreme (+++) positive patch test reactions than oligosensitized patients. Female sex, occupational dermatitis and age > 40 years were risk factors for polysensitization. CONCLUSIONS: The varying prevalences of polysensitization across Europe most likely reflect differences in patient characteristics and referral patterns between departments. Known risk factors for polysensitization are confirmed in a European dermatitis population.
Authors: Jart A F Oosterhaven; Wolfgang Uter; Werner Aberer; José C Armario-Hita; Barbara K Ballmer-Weber; Andrea Bauer; Magdalena Czarnecka-Operacz; Peter Elsner; Juan García-Gavín; Ana M Giménez-Arnau; Swen M John; Beata Kręcisz; Vera Mahler; Thomas Rustemeyer; Anna Sadowska-Przytocka; Javier Sánchez-Pérez; Dagmar Simon; Skaidra Valiukevičienė; Elke Weisshaar; Marie L A Schuttelaar Journal: Contact Dermatitis Date: 2019-01-14 Impact factor: 6.600
Authors: Anna Tagka; George I Lambrou; George K Matsopoulos; Despoina Fytili; Daphne Mirkopoulou; Alexandra Katsarou; Argyro Chatziioannou; Alexandros Stratigos Journal: Biomed Res Int Date: 2021-05-06 Impact factor: 3.411