title: High prevalence of contact allergy in adolescence: results from the population-based BAMSE birth cohort.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Contact allergy is common among adults. However, little is known about the prevalence in adolescents.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To assess the prevalence of allergy to common contact allergens in Swedish adolescents in the general population.
  
  
  METHODS
  The BAMSE cohort is a population-based birth cohort with the main aim of studying the risk factors for asthma, rhinitis, and atopic dermatitis. Patch testing was performed at the 16-year follow-up. The test (TRUE Test(®) ) was applied at home, and removed 2 days later by nurses, who recorded and photographed the results. Dermatologists made final assessments on the basis of photographs and protocols.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Two thousand two hundred and eighty-five participants (88% of all 16-year follow-up participants) were patch tested; 15.3% had at least one positive reaction. Contact allergy was more common in girls than in boys (17.0% versus 13.4%, p = 0.018). Sensitization to nickel was most common (7.5%), followed by sensitization to fragrance mix I (2.1%) and p-tert-butylphenol formaldehyde resin (1.9%). Nickel allergy was more frequent in girls (9.8% versus 4.9%, p < 0.001). Solitary sensitization to cobalt was more common than co-sensitization to nickel and cobalt.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The prevalence of contact allergy in adolescents is of almost the same high magnitude as in adults. The applied method was feasible in the population-based setting.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, SE-171 77, Stockholm, Sweden.|Centre for Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Stockholm County Council, SE-113 65, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lagrelius
authors.affiliation: Dermatology Unit, Department of Medicine Solna, Karolinska Institutet and Karolinska University Hospital, SE-171 76, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Carl-Fredrik
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Wahlgren
authors.affiliation: Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, SE-171 77, Stockholm, Sweden.|Centre for Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Stockholm County Council, SE-113 65, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Mihály
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Matura
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Science and Education, Stockholm South General Hospital, Karolinska Institutet, SE-118 83, Stockholm, Sweden.|Sachs' Children's Hospital, SE-118 83, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Inger
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kull
authors.affiliation: Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, SE-171 77, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Carola
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lidén
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D017449:Dermatitis, Allergic Contact / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009532:Nickel / Q000009:adverse effects; D010328:Patch Tests; D015995:Prevalence; D012117:Resins, Synthetic / Q000009:adverse effects; D012307:Risk Factors; D017678:Sex Distribution; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D012117:Resins, Synthetic; C014273:p-tert-butylphenolformaldehyde resin; C029938:nickel sulfate; D009532:Nickel
keywords: adolescents; epidemiology; fragrances; metals; patch test; plastics