Is contact allergy in man lifelong? An overview of patch test follow-ups.
In contradistinction from certain strains of mice, contact allergy in man is hypothesized to be either lifelong or at least to last for years. We examined follow-up studies on contact allergy, as evaluated by patch testing, attempting to quantify its natural history. The allergens include colophonium, gold sodium thiosulfate, nickel, and cobalt. At present, due to technical limitations, we cannot state in quantitative terms whether contact allergy in man is lifelong and whether its clinical manifestations change. Thus, we list some criteria for future studies which may help resolve the above question.
Lee
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EE
Department of Dermatology, University of California School of Medicine, San Francisco 94143, USA.
Maibach
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HI
D018501:Antirheumatic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects; D003035:Cobalt / Q000009:adverse effects; D017449:Dermatitis, Allergic Contact; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D012971:Gold Sodium Thiosulfate / Q000009:adverse effects; D006801:Humans; D009532:Nickel / Q000009:adverse effects; D010328:Patch Tests; D012116:Resins, Plant / Q000009:adverse effects
D018501:Antirheumatic Agents; D012116:Resins, Plant; D003035:Cobalt; D009532:Nickel; C013893:rosin; D012971:Gold Sodium Thiosulfate