Main Allergens Observed in Patients with Contact Dermatitis in a Brazilian Population Group

Abstract

Background: The skin contact test or patch test is considered to be a fundamental tool for investigating allergic contact dermatitis (ACD). Better knowledge on the prevalence of allergens in the environment is a good strategy for enabling a better approach towards contact dermatitis (CD) cases.Objective: The objective of the present study was to evaluate the prevalence of the main allergens of ACD in a population group in the interior of the state of São Paulo, Brazil.Methods: The results from 368 patch tests on adult patients with CD were evaluated through a retrospective study under the supervision of the Discipline of Allergy and Clinical Immunopathology and the Discipline of Dermatology at the Marília Medical School.Results: Mean age was 41.2 (± 17.2) years, with predomination of women (71.5%). The majority of the patients (91.3%) presented reactivity to at least one substance. Nickel sulfate and the perfume mix stood out as the most allergenic substances.Conclusion: Among the variety of substances to be tested in an etiological investigation for CD, perfumes and nickel are especially likely to be allergens in this population group.