Assessment of Contact Allergens in "Hypoallergenic" Athletic Shoes by Mass Spectrometry.

Identification of athletic shoes for patients with contact allergy is difficult. Company reports of allergen content are often incorrect. To determine whether chemical analysis of 4 athletic shoes, previously reported to be free of the most common contact allergens, contain quantifiable allergen levels.

Rate of Patch Testing Induced Anaphylaxis.

Although allergic contact dermatitis is a type IV hypersensitivity reaction, type I hypersensitivity reactions, such as anaphylaxis, have been reported during patch testing. The aim of this study was to identify reported cases of anaphylaxis from patch testing and estimate its rate. A literature review was conducted on PubMed to identify previously reported cases of anaphylaxis after patch testing and suspected allergens.

Contact Allergy Cross-reactions and Thresholds: A Review.

Consideration of contact allergen concomitant reactivity, which encompasses cross-reactors, co-reactors, and pseudo cross-reactors, is an important aspect of patient care, yet information on how these terms are differentiated and used in clinical practice is lacking. In this review, we provide definitions of cross-reactors, coreactors, and pseudo cross-reactors and discuss the utility of the American Contact Dermatitis Society Contact Allergen Management Program database cross-reactor groupings. We also discuss limitations to the current categorization of cross-reactivity and recommend incorporating new terms, including "apparent cross-reactor" and "derivative cross-reactor," when classifying cross-reactors.

Identifying Safe Alternatives for Contact Allergy Patients.

Allergen avoidance is the most effective treatment of contact allergy. Patient improvement ultimately relies on identification of safe alternative products, which can be used by the patient. Safe personal care product options typically can be found using ingredient database programs.

Review of aluminum, paraben, and sulfate product disclaimers on personal care products.

Background: Product disclaimers listed on personal care products face limited regulation. These disclaimers may be helpful or may mislead the public.

Objective: Review the evidence supporting the potential harms of 3 compounds commonly addressed by product disclaimers: parabens, aluminum, and sulfates.

American Contact Dermatitis Society Core Allergen Series: 2020 Update.

The American Contact Dermatitis Society Core Allergen series was introduced in 2013 and updated in 2017. Changes in our recommended allergens are again necessary, taking into account data from the American Contact Dermatitis Society's Contact Allergen Management Program top 100 allergens from 2018. For the updated series, we removed methyldibromoglutaronitrile and added new haptens: Lyral, Limonene, Linalool, carmine, benzyl salicylate, disperse yellow 3, jasmine, peppermint, pramoxine, shellac, and lauryl polyglucose (glucosides).

Relative Prevalence of Contact Allergens in North America in 2018.

Background: The American Contact Dermatitis Society Contact Allergen Management Program (CAMP) database was developed to provide patients with safe alternative products free of selected contact allergens. However, the CAMP database also records valuable information including the frequency of contact allergen searches for patients.

Objectives: The aim of the study was to determine the relative prevalence of contact allergens in North America.

Another Candle on the Cake: The American Contact Dermatitis Society Reaches Its 30th Year.

The year 2019 marks the 30th anniversary of the American Contact Dermatitis Society (ACDS). The work of inaugural ACDS members and the 3 decades of camaraderie, collaboration, education, and investigation of contact dermatitis that followed the inception of the ACDS are celebrated in this historical account.

Prevalence of Surfactant in the Contact Allergen Management Program.

Background: Surfactants are common ingredients in topical products, which can cause both irritant and allergic contact dermatitis.

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of 12 common groups of surfactants and 12 common individual surfactants among products in each category in the American Contact Dermatitis Society Contact Allergen Management Program (CAMP).

Methods: The American Contact Dermatitis Society CAMP was queried for the 12 surfactant groups and the 12 individual surfactants.

Alternatives for Allergens in the 2018 American Contact Dermatitis Society Core Series: Report by the American Contact Alternatives Group.

The most successful treatment for contact allergy is allergen avoidance. Patient improvement ultimately relies on identification of safe alternative products, which can be used by the patient. "Safe" personal care product options can typically be found using ingredient database programs.

Propylene Glycol in Contact Dermatitis: A Systematic Review.

Propylene glycol (PG), an emollient and emulsifier found in cosmetics, medications, and food, has been granted the dubious honor of being named the American Contact Dermatitis Society's Allergen of the Year for 2018. Contact, systemic, and irritant cutaneous reactions have been documented for PG, which has become an increasingly common ingredient. Propylene glycol is as contentious as it is ubiquitous because it acts as both a weak sensitizer and an irritant, confounding the results of positive patch tests.

Propylene Glycol.

Propylene glycol (PG), an emollient and emulsifier found in cosmetics, medications, and food, has been granted the dubious honor of being named the American Contact Dermatitis Society's Allergen of the Year for 2018. Allergic and irritant contact dermatitis and systemic cutaneous reactions to PG, which has become an increasingly common ingredient, have been documented. Propylene glycol is as contentious as it is ubiquitous because it acts as both a weak sensitizer and an irritant, confounding the results of positive patch tests.

The effect of cutaneous prostaglandin application on nail growth, nail brittleness, and intraocular pressure.

Background: Bimatoprost has known adnexal activity and was observed to increase nail growth at two clinical centers.

Objectives: In this randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled pilot study, we examine the effect of bimatoprost (Lumigan 0.01%), applied bid to the proximal nail fold on nail growth, nail brittleness, and intraocular pressure.