Immunologic contact urticaria

Vega, J. et al., Occupational immunologic contact urticaria from pine processionary caterpillar (Thaumetopoea pityocampa) experience in 30 cases, Contact Dermatitis, 50, 60, 2004. 

Tarvainen, K. et al., Immunologic contact urticaria due to airborne methylhexahydrophthahc and methyltetrahydrophthahc anhydrides, Contact Dermatitis, 32, 204, 1995. 

Sensitiser by inhalation exposure (and/or causes immunological contact urticaria)... 

The use of bacitracin in the anterior nares may temporarily decrease colonization by pathogenic staphylococci. Microbial resistance may develop following prolonged use. Bacitracin-induced contact urticaria syndrome, including anaphylaxis, occurs rarely. Allergic contact dermatitis occurs frequently, and immunologic contact urticaria rarely. Bacitracin is poorly absorbed through the skin, so systemic toxicity is rare. 

Lammintausta, K., Maibach, H.I., and Wilson, D., Mechanisms of subjective (sensory) irritation. Propensity to non-immunologic contact urticaria and objective irritation in stingers, Derm. Beruf. Umwelt., 36, 45—49, 1988. 

Substances meeting the criteria for classification as respiratory sensitizers may in addition cause immunological contact urticaria. Consideration should be given to classifying these substances also as contact sensitizers. Substances which cause immunological contact urticaria without meeting the criteria for respiratory sensitizers should also be considered for classification as contact sensitizers. 

There is no recognized animal model available to identify substances which cause immunological contact urticaria. Therefore, classification will normally be based on human evidence which will be similar to that for skin sensitization. 

Topical monoethyl fumarate caused contact dermatitis in a patient with atopic eczema and a generalized, partly pustulous, exanthema in a patient with psoriasis (10). The authors suggested that the mechanism was non-immunological contact urticaria. 

Most cases of contact urticaria are of non-immunolo-gical origin, presumably due to the direct release of histamine, slow-reacting substance of anaphylaxis (SRS-A), bradykinin, or other vasoactive substances. Topical drugs and ingredients of cosmetics that have caused non-immunological contact urticaria are listed in Table 2. 

Table 2 Agents that have caused non-immunological contact urticaria (1,4)...

Some low molecular weight chemicals, such as, the conventional epoxy resin hardener methyl tetrahydrophthalic anhydride that can stay as a remnant in the system, can cause immunologic contact urticaria . 

NRL is an irritant because of the protein allergens and can cause allergic skin reactions associated with type I (immediate effect) hypersensitivities of hand dermotoses and immunologic contact urticaria . It is also possible to have type IV (delayed effect) hypersensitivities of NRL, due to the chemicals added during its processing (such as accelerators of the thiuram/carbamate/mercaptobenzothiazole types needed for vulcanisation, a number of different antioxidants/antiozonants, emulsifiers, extenders, colorants, retarders, stiffeners, biocides). Either of these types can be serious and even life threatening in some cases [75]. 

Lahti A (1978) Skin reactions to some antimicrobial agents. Contact Dermatitis 4 302-303 Lahti A (1980) Non-immunologic contact urticaria. Acta Derm Venereol (Stockh) 60 (Suppl. 91) 1-49... 

The field of dermatotoxicology includes measurement of absorption of materials as well as assays that evaluate the ability of topically applied chemicals to induce or promote the development of neoplasia, trigger an immune response in the skin (allergic contact dermatitis and immunological contact urticaria), directly destroy the skin (corrosion), irritate the skin, and produce non-inflammatory, painful sensations. The inflammatory responses of skin are the most common chemically induced dermatoses in humans. This chapter briefly introduces the subject the Mar-zulli texts provide more detail (Marzulli and Maibach... 

Symptoms in other organs can appear with the skin symptoms in cases of immunologic contact urticaria syndrome. 

Predictive assays for evaluating the ability of materials to produce non-immunologic contact urticaria have been developed. No predictive assays for immunologic contact urticaria have been published. Lahti and Maibach (1984) developed an assay in guinea pigs using materials known to produce urticaria in humans. One tenth of a milliliter of the material (or control... 

Materials can also be screened for non-immunologic contact urticaria in humans. A small amount of the test material is applied to a marked site on the forehead, and the vehicle is applied to a parallel site. The areas are evaluated at about 20-39 min after application for erythema and/or edema (von Krogh and Maibach 1982). 

Occupational airborne allergic contact dermatitis Occupational airborne phototoxic contact dermatitis Occupational airborne photoallergic contact dermatitis Occupational airborne (immunological and/or non immunological) contact urticaria... 

Jones 1998). Other offending agents responsible for occupational airborne immunological contact urticaria are cosmetics, fruit, vegetables, animal hair, ammonium persulphate, anhydrides (Tarvainen et al. 1995), etc. 

Sanchez MC, Hernandez M, Morena V, et al. (1997) Immunologic contact urticaria caused by asparagus. Contact Dermatitis 37 181-182... 

Tarvainen K, Jolanki R, Estlander T, Tupasela 0, Pfaffli P, Kanerva L (1995) Immunologic contact urticaria due to airborne methyUiexahydrophthalic and methyltetrahydro-phthalic anhydrides. Contact Dermatitis 32 204-209... 

Tupasela O, Kanerva L (1997) Skin tests and specific IgE determinations in the diagnostics of immunologic contact urticaria caused by low-molecular weight chemicals. In Amin S, Lahti A, Maibach HI (eds) Textbook of the contact urticaria syndrome. CRC Press Inc, Boca Raton, FL, pp 33-44... 

Non-immunologic contact urticaria (NICU) and other non-immunologic immediate contact reactions (NIICRs) of the skin comprise a group of inflammatory reactions that appear within minutes to an hour after contact with the eliciting substance and usually disappear within a few hours. These reactions can also be called immediate-type irritancy. NIICRs occur without previous sensitization in most exposed individuals, and they are the most common type of immediate contact reaction (Lahti 1995). 

Lahti A (1980) Non-immunologic contact urticaria. Acta Dermatol Venereol 60 1-49... 

Lahti A, Oikarinen A, Viinikka L, Ylikorkala O, Hannuksela M (1983) Prostaglandins in contact urticaria induced by benzoic acid. Acta Dermatol Venereol 63 425-427 Lahti A, Vaananen A, Kokkonen E-L, Hannuksela M (1987) Acetylsalicylic acid inhibits non-immunologic contact urticaria. Contact Dermatitis 16 133-135 Lahti A, Kopola H, Harila A, Myllyla R, Hannuksela M (1993a) Assessment of skin erythema by eye, laser Doppler flowmeter, spectroradiometer, two-channel erythema meter and Minolta chroma meter. Arch Dermatol Res 285 278-282 Lahti A, Poutiainen A-M, Hannuksela M (1993b) Alcohol vehicles in tests for non-immunological immediate contact reactions. Contact Dermatitis 29 22-25... 

Coverly J, Peters L, Whittle E, Basketter DA (1998) Susceptibility to skin stinging, non-immunologic contact urticaria and acute skin irritation is there a relationship Contact Dermatitis 38 90-95... 

Exposure to chloropalatinates can give rise to immunologic contact urticaria, accompanied by asthma and rhinitis ( platinosis ). Cases of allergic contact dermatitis due to occupational exposure to platinum or platinum compounds were first reported in the 1950s (Levene 1971). In a more recent study (Baker et al. 1990), 28% of former employees had a positive prick test to platinum salts. They were not patch tested and the dermatitis reported could, in fact, have been an expression of contact urticaria. 

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