Chemical Approach to Contact Dermatitis Caused by Household Products. II. Analysis of Antioxidants in Commercial Rubber Gloves and Incidence of Positive Reactions to Antioxidants in Patch Testing

Abstract

Antioxidants in 37 different brands of commercially available rubber gloves mainly for domestic use were analysed by the method previously reported (M. Kaniwa, S. Kojima, A. Nakamura, M. Ishihara, Eisei Kagaku, 28, 137 (1982)). It was clarified that almost every brand of the domestic gloves contained one or two of the following phenolic antioxidants: 2, 2'-methylene-bis (4-methyl-6-fe2-butylphenol) (MBMBP), styrena-ted phenol (SP), 2, 2'-isobutylidene-bis (4, 6-dimethylphenol) (IBBDMP), 4, 4'-butylidene-bis (3-methyl-6-fer/-butylphenol) (BBMBP). A nitrogen-containing antioxidant, N-isopropyl-N'-phenyl-p-phenyl-enediamine (IPPD), known as a strong sensitizer, was detected in one brand of gloves for industrial use. The frequencies of detection of the antioxidants were as follows: MBMBP, 19/37; SP, 8/37; IBBDMP, 6/37; BBMBP, 1/37; IPPD, 1/37. Patch testing to various antioxidants was also studied in 40 patients with allergic contact dermatitis from rubber or poly (vinyl chloride) materials. No one reacted to the phenolic antioxidants tested, including MBMBP and SP. On the other hand, about one third of the patients reacted to IPPD. From the results, it is preferred to use the phenolic antioxidants for not only domestic but also industrial rubber gloves. © 1984, The Pharmaceutical Society of Japan. All rights reserved.