Trends in work-related respiratory diseases attributed to nickel, chromium and cobalt in the UK: descriptive findings from The Health and Occupation Research (THOR) network 1996-2019.

Background: Occupational exposure to metals can be associated with respiratory diseases which can adversely affect the individual's health, finances and employment. Despite this, little is known about the incidence of these respiratory conditions over prolonged periods of time.

Aims: This study aimed to investigate the trends in the incidence of work-related respiratory diseases attributed to nickel, chromium and cobalt in the UK.

The contribution of metal allergy to the failure of metal alloy implants, with special reference to titanium: Current knowledge and controversies.

After almost three-quarters of a century during which contact dermatologists have often struggled to comprehend the relationship between metal allergy and failure of metal-alloy containing implant, it is possible to say that a relationship does exist, particularly for cobalt and chromium, but also for nickel. There is still debate as to whether allergy develops as a consequent of failure but thenceforth contributes to it, or whether sensitisation starts first and induces failure secondarily-opinion probably favours the first. Metal-on-polypropylene articulations were associated with few metal allergic problems but now are less favoured by orthopaedists due to plastic wear products causing osteolysis and pseudotumour formation through local inflammation.

Trends in occupational and work-related contact dermatitis attributed to nickel, chromium and cobalt in the UK: findings from The Health and Occupation Research network 1996-2019.

Background: Occupational exposure to metals such as nickel, chromium and cobalt can be associated with contact dermatitis, which can adversely affect an individual's health, finances and employment. Despite this, little is known about the incidence of metal-related occupational contact dermatitis over prolonged periods of time.

Objectives: To investigate the medically reported trends in the incidence of work-related contact dermatitis attributed to nickel, chromium and cobalt in the UK.

Skin diseases in a 19th century English workhouse: analysis of the admission book for the Wakefield Workhouse Infirmary, 1826-1857.

Infectious diseases in the form of 'typhus' (74.2%) and 'fevers' (17.2%) were the commonest conditions accounting for entry to the Wakefield Workhouse Infirmary between 1826 and 1857, as recorded in the admissions book.

Skin disease and military conflicts: Lessons from the Crimean War (1854-56).

In the Crimean War (1854-56), infamous for its high death rate from disease at 212 per thousand British troops annually - one third of which was due to cholera or dysentery - skin disease was common, accounting for 13% of all admissions and 4.2% of all deaths. Excluding typhus, skin disease caused 252 per thousand annual admissions and 8.

Skin and respiratory ill-health attributed to occupational face mask use.

Background: Face mask use in the workplace has become widespread since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic and has been anecdotally linked to adverse health consequences.

Aims: To examine reports of adverse health consequences of occupational face mask use received by The Health and Occupation Research (THOR) network before and after the pandemic onset.

Methods: THOR databases were searched to identify all cases of ill-health attributed to 'face mask' or similar suspected causative agent between 1 January 2010 and 30 June 2021.

Patho-immunological mechanisms of vitiligo: the role of the innate and adaptive immunities and environmental stress factors.

Epidermal melanocyte loss in vitiligo, triggered by stresses ranging from trauma to emotional stress, chemical exposure or metabolite imbalance, to the unknown, can stimulate oxidative stress in pigment cells, which secrete damage-associated molecular patterns that then initiate innate immune responses. Antigen presentation to melanocytes leads to stimulation of autoreactive T-cell responses, with further targeting of pigment cells. Studies show a pathogenic basis for cellular stress, innate immune responses and adaptive immunity in vitiligo.

Integrating neuronal involvement into the immune and genetic paradigm of vitiligo.

In this review we show how the neuronal theory is relevant to the convergence theory for the mechanism causing vitiligo, especially the segmental type. Neuropeptides and neurotransmitters, such as neuropeptide Y and dopamine, can be central to the pathological mechanisms of melanocyte destruction. They link into a bidirectional network connecting cutaneous nerves, the neuroendocrine axis and the immune system, and through their local influence on cutaneous inflammation, to the antigen-specific regulatory T cells and the chemokine ligand type 9/chemokine receptor type 1 axis, which is thought to be the final pathway for melanocyte destruction.

Genome-wide association studies of autoimmune vitiligo identify 23 new risk loci and highlight key pathways and regulatory variants.

Vitiligo is an autoimmune disease in which depigmented skin results from the destruction of melanocytes, with epidemiological association with other autoimmune diseases. In previous linkage and genome-wide association studies (GWAS1 and GWAS2), we identified 27 vitiligo susceptibility loci in patients of European ancestry. We carried out a third GWAS (GWAS3) in European-ancestry subjects, with augmented GWAS1 and GWAS2 controls, genome-wide imputation, and meta-analysis of all three GWAS, followed by an independent replication.

Ambient humidity and the skin: the impact of air humidity in healthy and diseased states.

Humidity, along with other climatic factors such as temperature and ultraviolet radiation, can have an important impact on the skin. Limited data suggest that external humidity influences the water content of the stratum corneum. An online literature search was conducted through Pub-Med using combinations of the following keywords: skin, skin disease, humidity, dermatoses, dermatitis, eczema, and mist.

Contact allergy to essential oils cannot always be predicted from allergy to fragrance markers in the baseline series.

Background: Essential oils are fragrance substances that are labelled on cosmetic products by their INCI names, potentially confusing consumers.

Objectives: To establish whether contact allergy to essential oils might be missed if not specifically tested for.

Methods: We tested 471 patients with 14 essential oils and 2104 patients with Melaleuca alternifolia oil between January 2008 and June 2014.

Nickel allergy following European Union regulation in Denmark, Germany, Italy and the U.K.

Background: Nickel allergy is common worldwide. It is associated with hand dermatitis, and sensitization is often induced by nickel-releasing jewellery. The European Union (EU) introduced legislation to control nickel content and release from jewellery and other consumer items through the EU Nickel Directive 1994, which came into force in 2001 and is now part of the REACH regulation.

The angiotensin-converting enzyme gene insertion/deletion polymorphism in Indian patients with vitiligo: a case-control study and meta-analysis.

Background: Vitiligo is a common, acquired, idiopathic depigmenting skin disorder. Although the exact pathogenesis remains unknown, genetic susceptibility and autoimmune responses play a role in vitiligo development. Previous studies have suggested that the D allele of the insertion/deletion (I/D) polymorphism of the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) gene is associated with vitiligo in Indians and Koreans.

Coin exposure may cause allergic nickel dermatitis: a review.

Nickel is used in coins because the metal has beneficial properties, including price, colour, weight, and corrosion resistance, and also because it is easy to stamp. It has often been claimed that the duration of skin contact with coins is too short to cause nickel release and dermatitis. However, it is well known by dermatologists specialized in occupational skin diseases, and by their nickel-allergic patients, that hand eczema in cashiers and other professionals who handle coins may be caused or aggravated by nickel release from coins.

Genome-wide association analyses identify 13 new susceptibility loci for generalized vitiligo.

We previously reported a genome-wide association study (GWAS) identifying 14 susceptibility loci for generalized vitiligo. We report here a second GWAS (450 individuals with vitiligo (cases) and 3,182 controls), an independent replication study (1,440 cases and 1,316 controls) and a meta-analysis (3,187 cases and 6,723 controls) identifying 13 additional vitiligo-associated loci. These include OCA2-HERC2 (combined P = 3.