title: Enhanced sensitization and elicitation responses caused by mixtures of common fragrance allergens.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Perfumes are complex mixtures composed of many fragrance ingredients, many of which are known to be only weak allergens when tested individually. It is therefore surprising that fragrance contact allergy is one of the most common forms of contact allergy.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate whether mixing different fragrance allergens leads to increased sensitization potency, and to examine the difference in the challenge response to one chemical in mice sensitized either with the mixture of allergens or with only the relevant allergen.
  
  
  METHODS
  CBA mice were sensitized with three different concentrations of three fragrance allergens alone or as a mixture. The sensitization and elicitation responses were measured by ear thickness plus infiltration of B and T cells and T cell proliferation in the draining lymph nodes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found a dose-dependent sensitization response for each of the allergens. An increased response was seen when the allergens were mixed. A stronger challenge response to cinnamal was seen in mice sensitized with the allergen mixture than in mice sensitized with cinnamal alone.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings suggest that mixtures of allergens increase the primary response that potentiates the generation of memory T cells in response to the specific allergen. Thus, allergen mixtures enhance both induction and elicitation of contact allergy.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of International Health, Immunology and Microbiology, University of Copenhagen, DK-2200 Copenhagen, Denmark. cmenne@sund.ku.dk
authors.forename: Charlotte Menné
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Bonefeld
authors.forename: Morten Milek
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Nielsen
authors.forename: Ingrid Maria Cecilia
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Rubin
authors.forename: Marie Torp
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Vennegaard
authors.forename: Sally
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dabelsteen
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gimenéz-Arnau
authors.forename: Jean-Pierre
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Lepoittevin
authors.forename: Carsten
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Geisler
authors.forename: Jeanne Duus
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Johansen
mesh_terms: D000171:Acrolein / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000276:immunology / Q000633:toxicity; D000447:Aldehydes / Q000276:immunology / Q000633:toxicity; D000485:Allergens / Q000633:toxicity*; D000818:Animals; D018791:CD4 Lymphocyte Count; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D053138:Cyclohexenes / Q000276:immunology / Q000633:toxicity; D017449:Dermatitis, Allergic Contact / Q000209:etiology*; D004306:Dose-Response Relationship, Immunologic; D005054:Eugenol / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000276:immunology / Q000633:toxicity; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D051379:Mice; D008808:Mice, Inbred CBA; D010476:Perfume / Q000737:chemistry / Q000633:toxicity*
chemical_list: D000447:Aldehydes; D000485:Allergens; D053138:Cyclohexenes; D010476:Perfume; D005054:Eugenol; C036643:isoeugenol; D000171:Acrolein; C092244:hydroxyisohexyl 3-cyclohexene carboxaldehyde; C012843:cinnamaldehyde