title: Metals Are Important Contact Sensitizers: An Experience from Lithuania.
abstract: Background.Metals are very frequent sensitizers causing contact allergy and allergic contact dermatitis worldwide; up-to-date data based on patch test results has proved useful for the identification of a problem.Objectives.In this retrospective study prevalence of contact allergy to metals (nickel, chromium, palladium, gold, cobalt, and titanium) in Lithuania is analysed.Patients/Methods.Clinical and patch test data of 546 patients patch tested in 2014-2016, in Vilnius University Hospital Santariskiu Klinikos, was analysed and compared with previously published data.Results.Almost third of tested patients (29.56%) were sensitized to nickel. Younger women were more often sensitized to nickel than older ones (36% versus 22.8%,p= 0.0011). Women were significantly more often sensitized to nickel than men (33% versus 6.1%,p< 0.0001). Younger patients were more often sensitized to cobalt (11.6% versus 5.7%,p= 0.0183). Sensitization to cobalt was related to sensitization to nickel (p< 0.0001). Face dermatitis and oral discomfort were related to gold allergy (28% versus 6.9% dermatitis of other parts,p< 0.0001). Older patients were patch test positive to gold(I) sodium thiosulfate statistically significantly more often than younger ones (44.44% versus 21.21%,p= 0.0281).Conclusions.Nickel, gold, cobalt, and chromium are leading metal sensitizers in Lithuania. Cobalt sensitization is often accompanied by sensitization to nickel. Sensitivity rate to palladium and nickel indicates possible cross-reactivity. No sensitization to titanium was found.
authors.affiliation: Clinic of Infectious and Chest Diseases, Dermatovenereology and Allergology, Centre of Pulmonology and Allergology, Vilnius University, Vilnius, Lithuania.
authors.forename: Kotryna
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Linauskienė
authors.affiliation: Clinic of Infectious and Chest Diseases, Dermatovenereology and Allergology, Centre of Pulmonology and Allergology, Vilnius University, Vilnius, Lithuania.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-0796-5182
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Malinauskienė
authors.affiliation: Clinic of Infectious and Chest Diseases, Dermatovenereology and Allergology, Centre of Pulmonology and Allergology, Vilnius University, Vilnius, Lithuania.
authors.forename: Audra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Blažienė
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002857:Chromium / Q000633:toxicity*; D003035:Cobalt / Q000633:toxicity*; D017449:Dermatitis, Allergic Contact / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006046:Gold / Q000633:toxicity*; D006801:Humans; D006967:Hypersensitivity / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008097:Lithuania; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009532:Nickel / Q000633:toxicity*; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: D002857:Chromium; D003035:Cobalt; D006046:Gold; D009532:Nickel