Contact allergy in Danish children: Current trends.

Background: Contact allergy is common in children, but may be underdiagnosed. Importantly, the clinical relevance of specific allergies is subject to constant change, and it is therefore important to continuously monitor the trends and changes of contact allergies in the paediatric population.

Objectives: To identify possible changes in contact allergy and allergic contact dermatitis among Danish children referred for patch testing.

Occupational contact dermatitis in blue-collar workers: results from a multicentre study from the Danish Contact Dermatitis Group (2003-2012).

Background: Blue-collar workers have a high risk of occupational contact dermatitis, but epidemiological studies are scarce.

Objectives: To investigate allergic contact dermatitis in blue-collar workers with dermatitis registered by the Danish Contact Dermatitis Group.

Methods: A retrospective analysis of patch test data from 1471 blue-collar workers and 1471 matched controls tested between 2003 and 2012 was performed.

Occupational contact dermatitis in hairdressers: an analysis of patch test data from the Danish contact dermatitis group, 2002-2011.

Background: Occupational contact dermatitis among hairdressers is frequent, owing to daily exposure to irritants and allergens.

Objectives: To identify sensitization to the most common allergens associated with the occupation of hairdressing.

Methods: Patch test results of 399 hairdressers and 1995 matched controls with contact dermatitis, registered by the Danish Contact Dermatitis Group between January 2002 and December 2011, were analysed.

Positive nickel patch tests in infants are of low clinical relevance and rarely reproducible.

Background: We have previously reported patch test reactivity to nickel sulphate in a cohort of unselected infants tested repeatedly at 3-18 months of age. A reproducible positive reaction at 12 and 18 months was selected as a sign of nickel sensitivity provided a patch test with an empty Finn chamber was negative. A reproducible positive reaction was seen in 8.

[Intensified training at department of dermatology].

In recent years the Department of Dermatology at Aarhus Hospital has implemented a number of changes in order to improve the training of junior medical doctors. Some of the areas in focus are introduction, more responsibility, supervision, work planning and scheduling, conferences and weekly meetings for the specialists. The changes have a positive effect in many ways as training has become more efficient, motivation among staff has risen and the working environment has improved.

The prevalence of food hypersensitivity in young adults.

rising prevalence of food hypersensitivity (FHS) and severe allergic reactions to foods have been reported in the last decade. However, little is known on the prevalence in young adults. This study estimated the prevalence of FHS to the most common allergenic foods in an unselected population of young adults.

The prevalence of food hypersensitivity in an unselected population of children and adults.

A rising prevalence of food hypersensitivity (FHS) and severe allergic reactions to food has been reported the last decade. To estimate the prevalence of FHS to the most common allergenic foods in an unselected population of children and adults. We investigated a cohort of 111 children <3 yr of age, 486 children 3 yr of age, 301 children older than 3 yr of age and 936 adults by questionnaire, skin prick test, histamine release test and specific immunoglobulin E followed by oral challenge to the most common allergenic foods.

The clinical relevance of sensitization to pollen-related fruits and vegetables in unselected pollen-sensitized adults.

Background: Previous studies have described cross-reactivity between fresh fruits, vegetables and pollen. However, no data demonstrates the clinical relevance of sensitization to pollen-related fruits and vegetables in unselected pollen-sensitized adults with and without symptoms in the pollen season.

Objective: The aim of this study was to estimate the clinical relevance of sensitization to pollen-related fruits and vegetables in unselected pollen-sensitized adults and to examine the diagnostic value of skin-prick test (SPT), histamine release and specific IgE compared with the outcome of oral challenge.

The diagnostic accuracy of the atopy patch test in diagnosing hypersensitivity to cow's milk and hen's egg in unselected children with and without atopic dermatitis.

Background: Previous studies have suggested that the atopy patch test (APT) may make oral challenge superfluous in diagnosing children with food hypersensitivity.

Objective: To investigate the clinical relevance of APT in predicting hypersensitivity to cow's milk and hen's egg in 486 unselected children 3 years of age.

Method: The children were examined by APT, skin prick (SPT), histamine release (HR), and specific IgE followed by oral challenge when hypersensitivity to cow's milk or hen's egg was suspected.

Diagnostic value of scratch-chamber test, skin prick test, histamine release and specific IgE in birch-allergic patients with oral allergy syndrome to apple.

Background: The aim of the study was to examine the diagnostic value of skin prick test (SPT), scratch-chamber test (SCT), histamine release (HR) and specific immunoglobulin E (IgE) in birch-allergic patients with oral allergy syndrome to apple.

Methods: Ten birch-allergic patients with oral allergy syndrome to apple and 10 control subjects were included. All were tested with SPT, SCT, HR and specific IgE [CAP, Pharmacia, Sweden and Magic Lite (ML), ALK-ABELLO, Denmark].

Threshold levels in food challenge and specific IgE in patients with egg allergy: is there a relationship?

Background: Previously published articles described a relationship between food-specific IgE and the outcome of food challenge in children with egg allergy. These investigations defined different levels of predictive values in different study populations and thus pointed toward the possibility of a certain level of specific IgE to egg white predicting a positive outcome in food challenge.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine the utility of specific IgE in estimating threshold level to predict a positive outcome in food challenge.

Can we determine a threshold level for allergenic foods by statistical analysis of published data in the literature?

Background: The aim of this paper was to investigate whether a statistical model could be developed to estimate a "threshold" dose for foods eliciting allergic reactions in susceptible patients. The threshold dose is defined to be one that elicits allergic reactions in a given (small) proportion of susceptible patients, using data from published studies.

Methods: Based on data available from the literature, we developed a statistical model using the actual allergen content in the four foods, where data for allergen content are available (peanut, soy, egg, milk).