Immunologic cross-reactivity between respiratory chemical sensitizers: reactive dyes and cyanuric chloride.

Background: CyCl is a low molecular weight reactive chemical used as an intermediate in the production of plastics, herbicides, pharmaceuticals, and fiber-reactive dyes. It is a potent inducer of specific IgE antibody. The CyCl functionality is a structural component of monochlorotriazine and dichlorotriazine dyes.

Objective: We have investigated the immunologic cross-reactivity between cyanuric chloride (CyCl) and reactive dyes and it was hypothesized that this moiety might be a dye epitope and that it might stimulate an allergic antibody response in dye-exposed workers.

Methods: To test this hypothesis, we have used sera with IgE antibodies to CyCl and also sera from dye-exposed workers who have IgE antibodies to Procion Orange MX2R, an azo dye containing the dichlorotriazine group. As a control group we have used dye-exposed workers with IgE antibody to Remazol Black B, a diazo dye containing the vinyl sulfone-reactive group.

Results: Using RAST and RAST inhibitions, we identified negligible cross-reactivity between CyCl and dichlorotriazine dye.

Conclusion: The results of this study imply that the allergenic moiety on the dye residue resides in the chromophore rather than in the common structural component of CyCl and dichlorotriazine dyes.