Contact allergy to rubber accelerators in consecutively patch tested Danish eczema patients: A retrospective observational study from 1990 to 2019

Abstract

Background: Rubber accelerators are used in the production of rubber gloves and may cause contact allergy. Objectives: To estimate long-term trend and prevalence of contact allergy to rubber accelerators for a 30-year period in Denmark, high-risk occupations, and exposures. Methods: Data from all patients with contact dermatitis consecutively patch tested at the department of Skin and Allergy Gentofte hospital with the rubber accelerators from the European baseline series (EBS) from 1990 to 2019, were analysed. Further, patients under suspicion of rubber accelerator contact allergy were additionally patch-tested with rubber accelerators from the specialised rubber series from 2005 to 2019 and these were additional extracted. Results: The overall prevalence of contact allergy to one or more of the rubber accelerators from the EBS series was 2.7% with a significant decline in the first 12-years, followed by a stable frequency in the past 18-years. Associations with occupational contact dermatitis, hand dermatitis, and leg/foot dermatitis were found. Wet-work occupations were most often affected and gloves the most frequent exposure. Conclusions: Contact allergy to one or more of the rubber accelerators from the EBS is frequent and has been unchanged for several decades, which calls for prevention.