title: Skin sensitization to 2, 4 dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB) in the first months of life.
abstract: The skin reactivity to 2, 4 dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB) was evaluated in 94 healthy term neonates, aged 1-30 days and in 190 infants aged 2-9 months. For contact sensitization to DNCB an initial dose of 1 mg DNCB and a challenge one of 0.1 mg were used. Sensitization was induced in 6.7% of neonates in the first 15 days of life. This proportion rose to 25.7% by the end of the first month, to 63% in the third month and to 91% in the ninth month. It is concluded that DNCB test is a safe and simple screening test for evaluating cell-mediated immunity in the first months of life. It appears to have some advantages over the skin tests using specific antigens, as a positive result with DNCB can be obtained at an earlier age.
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D003877:Dermatitis, Contact; D004137:Dinitrochlorobenzene / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006968:Hypersensitivity, Delayed / Q000139:chemically induced; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D009578:Nitrobenzenes / Q000276:immunology*; D012882:Skin Tests
chemical_list: D004137:Dinitrochlorobenzene; D009578:Nitrobenzenes