title: The European baseline series in 10 European Countries, 2005/2006--results of the European Surveillance System on Contact Allergies (ESSCA).
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Continual surveillance based on patch test results has proved useful for the identification of contact allergy.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To provide a current view on the spectrum of contact allergy to important sensitizers across Europe.
  
  
  METHODS
  Clinical and patch test data of 19 793 patients patch tested in 2005/2006 in the 31 participating departments from 10 European countries (the European Surveillance System on Contact Allergies' (ESSCA) www.essca-dc.org) were descriptively analysed, aggregated to four European regions.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Nickel sulfate remains the most common allergen with standardized prevalences ranging from 19.7% (central Europe) to 24.4% (southern Europe). While a number of allergens shows limited variation across the four regions, such as Myroxylon pereirae (5.3-6.8%), cobalt chloride (6.2-8.8%) or thiuram mix (1.7-2.4%), the differences observed with other allergens may hint on underlying differences in exposures, for example: dichromate 2.4% in the UK (west) versus 4.5-5.9% in the remaining EU regions, methylchloroisothiazolinone/methylisothiazolinone 4.1% in the South versus 2.1-2.7% in the remaining regions.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Notwithstanding residual methodological variation (affecting at least some 'difficult' allergens) tackled by ongoing efforts for standardization, a comparative analysis as presented provides (i) a broad overview on contact allergy frequencies and (ii) interesting starting points for further, in-depth investigation.
authors: Dept of Med Informatics, Biometry & Epidemiology, University of Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany. wolfgang.uter@imbe.med.uni-erlangen.de
authors: Wolfgang
authors: W
authors: Uter
authors: Christiane
authors: C
authors: Rämsch
authors: Werner
authors: W
authors: Aberer
authors: Fabio
authors: F
authors: Ayala
authors: Anna
authors: A
authors: Balato
authors: Aiste
authors: A
authors: Beliauskiene
authors: Anna Belloni
authors: AB
authors: Fortina
authors: Andreas
authors: A
authors: Bircher
authors: Jochen
authors: J
authors: Brasch
authors: Mahbub M U
authors: MM
authors: Chowdhury
authors: Pieter-Jan
authors: PJ
authors: Coenraads
authors: Marie-Louise
authors: ML
authors: Schuttelaar
authors: Sue
authors: S
authors: Cooper
authors: Maria Teresa
authors: MT
authors: Corradin
authors: Peter
authors: P
authors: Elsner
authors: John S C
authors: JS
authors: English
authors: Manigè
authors: M
authors: Fartasch
authors: Vera
authors: V
authors: Mahler
authors: Peter J
authors: PJ
authors: Frosch
authors: Thomas
authors: T
authors: Fuchs
authors: David J
authors: DJ
authors: Gawkrodger
authors: Ana-Maria
authors: AM
authors: Gimènez-Arnau
authors: Cathy M
authors: CM
authors: Green
authors: Helen L
authors: HL
authors: Horne
authors: Riitta
authors: R
authors: Jolanki
authors: Codagh M
authors: CM
authors: King
authors: Beata
authors: B
authors: Krêcisz
authors: Marta
authors: M
authors: Kiec-Swierczynska
authors: Anthony D
authors: AD
authors: Ormerod
authors: David I
authors: DI
authors: Orton
authors: Andrea
authors: A
authors: Peserico
authors: Tapio
authors: T
authors: Rantanen
authors: Thomas
authors: T
authors: Rustemeyer
authors: Jane E
authors: JE
authors: Sansom
authors: Dagmar
authors: D
authors: Simon
authors: Barry N
authors: BN
authors: Statham
authors: Mark
authors: M
authors: Wilkinson
authors: Axel
authors: A
authors: Schnuch
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000485:Allergens; D017449:Dermatitis, Allergic Contact / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D003876:Dermatitis, Atopic / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D009783:Dermatitis, Occupational / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D005060:Europe / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011159:Population Surveillance; D015995:Prevalence
chemical_list: D000485:Allergens