title: Contact sensitization pattern in 172 atopic subjects.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Some authors have claimed a decreased cell-mediated immunity among atopic individuals, which would lead to observations of decreased rates of allergic contact dermatitis (ACD).
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of our study was to investigate contact sensitization patterns in atopic subjects compared with non-atopic subjects.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patch test data for 1247 patients undergoing patch testing at Massachusetts General Hospital between 1990 and 2006 were reviewed. Using accepted criteria, 172 subjects were classified as atopic individuals (AIs), and 1075 were classified as non-atopic individuals (NAIs). Sensitization rates were compared between these two groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sensitization rates (65.0% and 57.4% in the AI and NAI groups, respectively) and average numbers of positive responses (1.5 and 1.2 in the AI and NAI groups, respectively) were higher in AIs. Leading allergens observed were similar for both groups. Sensitization to potassium dichromate and phenylmercuric acetate was significantly greater in the AI group. The most frequent diagnosis in both groups was ACD (41.9% and 45.5% in the AI and NAI groups, respectively). In addition, more NAIs who were employed in occupations with exposure to wet and/or irritant conditions had hand eczema (P < 0.005).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Atopic individuals were shown to be at least as likely to have ACD as NAIs. The most common sensitizers were similar in both groups, suggesting common sources of sensitization.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA.
authors.forename: Lilla
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Landeck
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Schalock
authors.forename: Lynn
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Baden
authors.forename: Ernesto
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: González
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000485:Allergens / Q000276:immunology; D016208:Databases, Factual / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017449:Dermatitis, Allergic Contact / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology; D003876:Dermatitis, Atopic / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology; D009790:Occupations / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010328:Patch Tests; D010662:Phenylmercuric Acetate / Q000276:immunology; D011192:Potassium Dichromate / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000485:Allergens; D010662:Phenylmercuric Acetate; D011192:Potassium Dichromate