Use of cosmetics by Danish women
acrylic compound such as trimethyl propane trimethacrylate (TPC). This is of considerable significance since TPC may cause allergic contact dermatitis in ultraviolet cured printing inks (Nethercott 1978). Finally, Chung & Giles (1977) showed that guinea pigs could be strongly sensitized to methyl-, ethyland n-butyl methacrylate in ethanol or olive oil by the topical route, or in saline by the intradermal route. For elicitation of skin reactions, topical challenge with the compounds in olive oil or intradermal challenge with saline as the solvent was necessary. All sensitized animals responded strongly not only to the inducting methacrylate but also to the other methacrylates, showing that mutual cross-sensitivity had occurred. They concluded by stating that, "Since methyl methacrylate has been reported to be a potent sensitizer in humans, the guinea pig model described here may be useful for screening products before marketing."
Allergic contact dermatitis to sculptured nails.
Sculptured artificial nails are a popular method of improving the cosmetic appearance of natural nails. They are made by mixing a liquid monomer with a powder polymer and then molding this acrylic compound onto the natural nail. We have recently seen a patient with allergic contact dermatitis to ethyl methacrylate, the liquid monomer used in these artificial fingernails. The purpose of this article is to report a case in which ethyl methacrylate was the sensitizer in the nail, and to demonstrate cross-sensitivity to methyl and N-butyl methacrylate. Report of a Case A 50-year-old woman used artificial fingernails for 1 1/2 years because of nail fragility. This process involved the mixing of ethyl methacrylate monomer with acrylic polymers. For several months prior to being seen in the clinic, a paronychial and eyelid dermatitis (Figure) occurred two days after each new application of the nails. Using the aluminum patch test technique, the
Sensitization potentials and immunologic specificities of neomycins.
The use of sensitization indices for expressing allergenic skin reactions in guinea pigs is described. The method is convenient for comparing allergens and cross-reacting substances and permits the use of both irritating and nonirritating challenge concentrations of allergens. It also permits determination of both optimal reading time and challenge concentrations for each experiment. By this technique commercial neomycin complex, neamine (neomycin A), neomycin B, neomycin C, and streptomycin were found to be allergenic in guinea pigs via intradermal (id) and foot-pad (fp) immunizations. The immunizing emulsion consisted of an allergen and an adjuvant containing Mycobacterium butyricum (MB) or Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Ra (Ra). The adjuvant MB was as effective as Ra by the id route, but inferior to Ra by the fp route. The cross-reactivity of neomycin C was generally greater than neomycin B in guinea pigs sensitized to neamine, neomycin B, neomycin C, or streptomycin. In guinea pigs sensitized to neomycin complex by repeated immunizations, neomycins A, B, and C were effective elicitors of skin reactions, whereas the N-acetylated derivatives of the components failed to cause reactions. This finding is interpreted to mean that the amino groups of the aminoglycosides are the coupling sites to host proteins in the processes of sensitization and elicitation of skin reactions in vivo.