title: Contact allergy to preservatives: ESSCA* results with the baseline series, 2009-2012.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Allergic contact dermatitis caused by biocides is common and causes significant patient morbidity.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To describe the current frequency and pattern of patch test reactivity to biocide allergens included in the baseline series of most European countries.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data collected by the European Surveillance System on Contact Allergies (ESSCA) network between 2009 and 2012 from 12 European countries were analysed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Methylisothiazolinone 0.2% aq. produced the highest prevalence of sensitization during the study period, with an overall prevalence of 4.5%. The mixture methylchloroisothiazolinone /methylisothiazolinone tested at 0.02% aq. followed closely, with 4.1% of positive reactions. Other preservatives with lower rates of sensitization, but still over 1%, include methyldibromo glutaronitrile (MDBGN) 0.5% pet. and iodopropynyl butylcarbamate (IPBC) 0.2% pet. Formaldehyde releasers and parabens yielded less than 1% positive reactions during the study period. Some regional differences in the prevalence of contact allergy to biocides among European countries were observed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Contact allergy to biocides is common throughout Europe, and regional differences could be explained by differences in exposure or characteristics of the population tested. Timely regulatory action for isothiazolinones is required. Although MDBGN is banned from cosmetics products since 2005, sensitization prevalence has not appeared to plateau. IPBC is an emerging allergen with an increasing prevalence over the last few years, and its inclusion in the European baseline series may be appropriate.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Hospital del Mar, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Giménez-Arnau
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Hospital del Mar, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Deza
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technical University Dresden, Dresden, Germany.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bauer
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Leicester Royal Infirmary, Leicester, UK.
authors.forename: G A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Johnston
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Mahler
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: M-L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Schuttelaar
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Hospital Universitario La Princesa, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sanchez-Perez
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Hospital General Universitario de Alicante, Alicante, Spain.
authors.forename: J F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Silvestre
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Chapel Allerton Hospital, Leeds, UK.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wilkinson
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Informatics, Biometry and Epidemiology, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Erlangen, Germany.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Uter
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000009:adverse effects*; D002219:Carbamates / Q000009:adverse effects; D017449:Dermatitis, Allergic Contact / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology*; D005060:Europe / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D005557:Formaldehyde / Q000009:adverse effects; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009570:Nitriles / Q000009:adverse effects; D011310:Preservatives, Pharmaceutical / Q000009:adverse effects*; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013844:Thiazoles / Q000009:adverse effects; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D002219:Carbamates; D009570:Nitriles; D011310:Preservatives, Pharmaceutical; D013844:Thiazoles; D005557:Formaldehyde; C011506:2-methyl-4-isothiazolin-3-one; C106572:3-iodo-2-propynylbutylcarbamate; C011421:5-chloro-2-methyl-4-isothiazolin-3-one; C039411:1,2-dibromo-2,4-dicyanobutane