title: [Contact allergies in the German workforce : Data of the IVDK network from 2003-2013].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In Germany, occupational skin diseases rank first in the occupational skin disease statistics for many years. Especially, occupationally acquired contact allergies as well as multi-sensitization are the most important predictors for a poor prognosis and persistent eczema.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To update the spectrum and sensitization frequencies of most frequent allergens from the standard series in Germany in patients with occupationally acquired type IV sensitizations in general and within different occupational groups.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data of all employed patients (age range: 16-68 years, n = 14234) patch tested between 2003 and 2013 in the German Departments of the Information Network of Departments of Dermatology (IVDK) and diagnosed occupationally acquired contact dermatitis after patch testing were analyzed. The control group was composed of all other patients (n = 31706) within the same time frame, in which occupationally acquired allergic contact dermatitis was negated explicitly.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence Ratio (PR; indicating risk) was significantly increased for: Thiuram-mix (PR 5.63 95 %CI 4.97-6.4), zinkdiethyldithiocarbamate (PR 6.22 95 %CI 4.76-8.22), mercaptobenzothiazole (MBT) (PR 3.88 95 %CI 3.09-4.89), mercapto-mix without MBT (PR 3.23 95 %CI 2.59-4.03), N-isopropyl-N'-phenyl-p-phenylene diamine (IPPD) (PR 2.3195 %CI 1.87-2.86), epoxy resin (PR 2.82 95 %CI 2.45-3.25), chloromethylisothiazolinone/methylisothiazolinone (MCI/MI) (PR 2.19 95 %CI 1.97-2.42) and compositae mix II (PR 2.05 95 %CI 1.45-2.89). They were the predominant occupational allergens and were at least associated with a doubled risk (PR ≥ 2.0) for acquiring occupationally allergic contact dermatitis. The highest risk increase was identified in employees in the health services, in agriculture, metal industry, food and service industry as well as building trades
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A limited number of occupationally relevant allergens cause the majority of sensitizations in the workforce, if standard series allergens are concerned. Data analysis of national and international contact allergy data bases provide valuable information on sensitization rates and profiles in skin risk occupations to implement targeted prevention strategies. To diagnose occupational allergic contact dermatitis in individual cases additional testing of occupation related patch test series as well as patients' own products is commonly inevitable.
authors.affiliation: Klinik und Poliklinik für Dermatologie, UniversitätsAllergieZentrum, Universitätsklinikum Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Fetscherstr. 74, 01307, Dresden, Deutschland. Andrea.Bauer@uniklinikum-dresden.de.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bauer
authors.affiliation: Informationsverbund Dermatologischer Kliniken (IVDK), Universitätsmedizin Göttingen, Georg-August Universität Göttingen, Göttingen, Deutschland.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Geier
authors.affiliation: Hautklinik, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander Universität Erlangen/Nürnberg, Erlangen, Deutschland.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Mahler
authors.affiliation: Institut für Medizininformatik, Biometrie und Epidemiologie, Friedrich-Alexander Universität Erlangen/Nürnberg, Erlangen, Deutschland.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Uter
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D019058:Community Networks / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015897:Comorbidity; D017449:Dermatitis, Allergic Contact / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D009783:Dermatitis, Occupational / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003880:Dermatology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004485:Eczema / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D004651:Employment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010328:Patch Tests / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D017678:Sex Distribution
keywords: Chloromethylisothiazolinone/methylisothiazolinone; Compositae; Epoxy resins; Occupational contact allergy; Thiurams