Potential Allergens in Medical Adhesives in Tapes, Wound Dressings, and Ostomy Care: A Scoping Review.

Background: Medical adhesives are increasingly reported, although still underestimated as causes of allergic contact dermatitis, for which identification of the sensitising culprits is often impossible, mainly because of non-declaration of components on medical device packaging and lack of cooperation from manufacturers.

Objectives: To report on the allergens identified in medical adhesives in tapes, wound dressings, and ostomy care.

Methods: The relevant literature (1980-2024) on sensitization sources and allergens was analysed and the results reported.

1,6-Hexanediol Diacrylate, Isocyanates and Other Skin Sensitizers Are Emerging Contact Allergens in Guardian Glucose Sensors.

Background: Allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) from diabetes devices remains a significant concern.

Objective: To report ACD from Guardian 3 and 4 glucose sensors (G3/4 sensors) due to multiple skin sensitizers, that is, isobornyl acrylate (IBOA), N,N-dimethylacrylamide (DMAA) and also 1,6-hexanediol diacrylate (HDDA), isocyanates, colophonium derivatives, tert-butylphenols (TBPs) and salicylates.

Methods: Twenty-seven patients with ACD from G3/4 sensors, evaluated between January 2020 and December 2024, were patch-tested to a baseline, acrylate, isocyanate and plastics and glue series.

Sensitization Patterns to Cyanoacrylate-Based Surgical Glues.

Background: Surgical glues are increasingly used, offering advantages like reduced scarring and faster wound closure. However, they pose risks of localised and disseminated allergic contact dermatitis caused by cyanoacrylate monomers.

Objectives: This study aims to evaluate sensitisation patterns to cyanoacrylate-based surgical glues, the usefulness of testing with the commercially available ethyl cyanoacrylate, and cross-reactions between cyanoacrylates and (meth)acrylates.

Variability in Paediatric Patch Test Practices Across Europe: A Survey From the European Baseline Series (EBS) Working Party on Behalf of the European Society of Contact Dermatitis (ESCD).

Background: Allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) is an increasingly recognised condition in children and adolescents. However, there is limited knowledge about the different paediatric patch test procedures in European patch test clinics.

Objectives: To map current European paediatric patch test practices, and to relate these to the existing literature, with the aim of guiding the development of a future paediatric patch test guideline, and a corresponding paediatric European baseline series (pEBS).

Frequent Positive Patch Test Reactions to Glucosides in Children: A Call for Caution?

Background: Alkyl glucosides are surfactants commonly found in cosmetics and household products. However, data on glucoside contact allergy in paediatric populations is limited.

Objectives: To determine the prevalence, relevance and clinical characteristics of contact allergy to glucosides in children.

Contact Urticaria and Related Conditions: Clinical Review.

Contact urticaria (CoU) is an immediate contact reaction occurring within minutes to an hour after exposure to specific proteins or chemicals. CoU is categorised into non-immunologic (NI-CoU) and immunologic (I-CoU) types, with I-CoU potentially leading to anaphylaxis. Both forms of CoU can be associated with protein contact dermatitis and the CoU syndrome.

Contact Allergy to Methacrylate Containing Nail Products: Lack of Impact of EU Legislation. An Audit on Behalf of the European Environmental Contact Dermatitis Research Group (EECDRG).

Background: There is a current fashion for the use of methacrylate-containing nail cosmetics that can induce allergic contact dermatitis. European Union (EU) legislation was introduced in 2021 that had the aim of preventing its development.

Objectives: To assess prevalence and exposures causing contact allergy to 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) prior to and following implementation of the legislation.

Tert-butylhydroquinone and tert-butylcatechol positivity as warning lights of skin sensitization to tert-butylphenol derivatives in adhesives and diabetes devices.

Introduction: Tert-butylphenol (TBP) derivatives, antioxidants in adhesives and diabetes devices, may provoke allergic contact dermatitis (ACD).

Objectives: The objective of this study is to report sensitization to TBP derivatives in medical devices and to highlight that tert-butylhydroquinone (BHQ) and tert-butylcatechol (TBC) are potential screeners in this regard.

Methods: Fifteen patients with ACD from adhesives and diabetes devices were patch tested to different TBPs: BHQ 1% pet.

Severely compromised supply of patch test allergens in Europe hampers adequate diagnosis of occupational and non-occupational contact allergy. A European Society of Contact Dermatitis (ESCD), European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (EAACI), European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology (EADV) task forces 'Contact Dermatitis' and 'Occupational Skin Disease' position paper.

Patch testing is the only clinically applicable diagnostic method for Type IV allergy. The availability of Type IV patch test (PT) allergens in Europe, however, is currently scarce. This severely compromises adequate diagnostics of contact allergy, leading to serious consequences for the affected patients.

Differential diagnosis of contact dermatitis: A practical-approach review by the EADV Task Force on contact dermatitis.

The diagnosis of eczema ('dermatitis') is mostly clinical and depends on the clinical history and exploratory objective findings (primary lesions, patterns). Contact dermatitis remains as an important condition in the group of eczematous disorders, with important socioeconomic and occupational relevance. Although irritant and allergic contact dermatitis have a different pathogenesis, both are characterized by a rather typical morphology, are triggered by external factors and tend to occur primarily in the area of contact with the exogenous agent.

Lack of functional TCR-epitope interaction is associated with herpes zoster through reduced downstream T cell activation.

The role of T cell receptor (TCR) diversity in infectious disease susceptibility is not well understood. We use a systems immunology approach on three cohorts of herpes zoster (HZ) patients and controls to investigate whether TCR diversity against varicella-zoster virus (VZV) influences the risk of HZ. We show that CD4 T cell TCR diversity against VZV glycoprotein E (gE) and immediate early 63 protein (IE63) after 1-week culture is more restricted in HZ patients.