Contact Allergy to Rubber Accelerators Steady Over 30 Years in eczema cases

A new study by Christoffer Kursawe Larsen and team found that contact allergy to rubber accelerators was linked to various forms of dermatitis, including hand dermatitis and leg/foot dermatitis. The findings of this study were published in Contact Dermatitis.

In order to vulcanize rubber products, such as rubber gloves, rubber accelerators are applied. The well-known allergens that cause contact allergies include certain rubber accelerators. The rubber accelerators and mixes thiuram mix, mercaptobenzothiazole (MBT), and mercapto mix are part of the European baseline series (EBS). This study's goals were to determine the incidence of contact allergies to rubber accelerators across a 30-year period, from 1990 to 2019, and to pinpoint pertinent historical patterns, high-risk professions, and exposures.

Data from all individuals with contact dermatitis who underwent concomitant patch testing with rubber accelerators at the Skin and Allergy Gentofte Hospital from 1990 to 2019 were evaluated. From 2005 to 2019, patients who were suspected of having a rubber accelerator contact allergy had further patch testing with rubber accelerators from the specialist rubber series, and these samples were taken again.

The key findings of this study were:

The prevalence of contact allergies to one or more rubber accelerators from the EBS series was 2.7% overall, showing a considerable drop in the first 12 years before stabilising during the last 18 years.

Leg/foot dermatitis, hand dermatitis, and occupational contact dermatitis all had associations.

Gloves were the most frequently exposed, while wet-work vocations were most frequently impacted. 

The persistence of contact allergy to rubber accelerators over three decades raises concerns about the long-term health effects and calls for preventative measures. With gloves being a frequent source of exposure, efforts to reduce contact with these chemicals in high-risk occupations are crucial.

Reference:

Kursawe Larsen, C., Schwensen, J. F. B., Zachariae, C., & Johansen, J. D. (2023). Contact allergy to rubber accelerators in consecutively patch tested Danish eczema patients: A retrospective observational study from 1990 to 2019. In Contact Dermatitis. Wiley. https://doi.org/10.1111/cod.14421