Disease relevance of Patch Tests

• Basophils in allergen-induced patch test sites in atopic dermatitis [1].
• RESULTS: Human T-regulatory type 1 cells, their suppressive cytokines, IL-10 and TGF-beta, as well as receptors for these cytokines were significantly expressed, whereas CD4(+)CD25(+)FoxP3(+) T-regulatory cells were not found in lesional and atopy patch test atopic dermatitis or psoriasis skin [2].
• Clinical features and the result of patch test indicated that the patient developed hypersensitivity syndrome, a severe adverse cutaneous drug reaction, caused by mexiletine [3].
• Four out of eighteen (22%) patients with nickel contact sensitivity showed inhibition of skin patch test responses to the allergen in the presence of topical cyclosporin A (CsA; 5% v/v) [4].
• CONCLUSION: Allergy to topical hydrocortisone is associated with stasis dermatitis and multiple positive patch test reactions [5].

High impact information on Patch Tests

• Patch tests were assessed by independent dermatologists after 48 h, 72 h, and when necessary 96 h of contact with the potential allergen [6].
• All patients underwent epicutaneous patch tests (Finn chamber method) for nickel, chromate, molybdenum, manganese, and small 316L stainless-steel plates [6].
• Ethanol patch test for low Km aldehyde dehydrogenase deficiency [7].
• All three CBD patients studied had a positive response to beryllium sulfate application and a negative patch test to normal saline [8].
• In an in vivo model of IgE-dependent LC activation, the atopy patch test, positive skin reactions were also associated with the induction of IL-16 in epidermal dendritic cells [9].

Chemical compound and disease context of Patch Tests

• The clinical course, the Giemsa staining of conjunctival scrapings, the conjunctival biopsy, and the results of patch tests suggest that this is an irritant reaction to dipivefrin rather than a reaction to preservatives or an allergic reaction [10].
• Susceptibility to sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS)-induced irritant dermatitis was evaluated by the application of a single 24-h SLS patch test to the upper arm [11].
• Pustular patch test reactions to 5% nickel sulfate were regularly produced in patients with atopic dermatitis when patches were placed over areas of skin with (a) follicular papules, (b) erythema, (c) lichenification, and (d) minimal trauma [12].
• Delayed hypersensitivity to thimerosal was demonstrated by positive patch tests in 27 patients [13].
• Our study suggests that the sensitivity of patch tests for corticosteroid hypersensitivity can be increased by using ethanol as vehicle [14].

Biological context of Patch Tests

• Screening for acetaldehyde dehydrogenase 2 genotype in alcohol-induced asthma by using the ethanol patch test [15].
• Mometasone has shown a low risk of primary sensitisation and cross-reactions in preliminary patch test studies [16].
• In the present study, up-regulation of IFN-gamma mRNA expression in inhalant allergen patch test reactions was preceded by an increased expression of the p35 subunit of IL-12 mRNA [17].
• METHODS: A review of the records of all patients seen from July 1 to Dec 31, 1998 with positive patch tests to BOP, FM, cinnamic aldehyde, and balsam of tolu was performed 9 to 14 months after their evaluation in a tertiary dermatology center [18].
• BACKGROUND: To identify the pharmacological effectiveness of cyanamide, 144 alcoholics treated with cyanamide were subjected to a test that used an acetaldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) inhibitor, the ethanol patch test, which is considered to be a good indicator of ALDH2 phenotype [19].

Anatomical context of Patch Tests

• We studied the dynamics of expression of CLA and the gut homing receptor alphaE beta7 (HML-1) on T cells in the skin of patients with AD and in APT reactions and nickel and sodium lauryl sulfate patch test reactions by means of immunohistochemical double staining of skin biopsy specimens [20].
• The sensitivities of the patch test, lymphocyte transformation test and assessment of drug-specific IL-5 secretion for the detection of drug sensitization were 55%, 75% and 92%, respectively [21].
• In atopy patch test sites no increase in the number of CD1a+ dendritic cells and a slight increase in macrophages compared with non-lesional skin was observed [22].
• METHODS: One hundred three consecutive patients referred to three university patch test clinics for patch testing were alos patch tested with six common aeroallergens in glycerine-dust, mold, cat epithelium, tree, grass, and weed-as well as with a glycerine control [23].
• However, patch tests to latex were negative and neither were epidermal Langerhans cells able to present latex antigen to T lymphocytes in vitro [24].

Associations of Patch Tests with chemical compounds

• Special studies indicated a high titer quinidine-dependent IgG antibody level in the patient's serum and a strongly positive quinidine patch test result on his forearm [25].
• In contrast, the percentages of CLA+ T cells in the lesional skin of patients with AD, in the APT reactions, and in sodium lauryl sulfate and nickel patch test reactions were decreased [20].
• METHODS: An ethanol patch test on the upper arm and a questionnaire survey addressing the past history of alcohol-induced asthma were administered to 148 adult Japanese asthmatic subjects [15].
• The successful completion of a test is indicated by a fill tab, which changes color when the appropriate amount of sweat has been picked up by the chloride test patch [26].
• In many cases a positive routine patch test to thiomersal should be considered an accidental finding without or, probably more accurately, with low clinical relevance [27].

Gene context of Patch Tests

• CD biopsies were taken from 10 positive skin patch test sites and iNOS immunoreactivity was detected in all of these. iNOS immunoreactivity was detected in only one of the negative patch test biopsies [28].
• OBJECTIVE: To study the expression of CS-1 fibronectin, TARC and Th1-associated chemokine receptors in biopsies from allergic patch test reactions [29].
• In contrast, ICAM-1 is already expressed in higher levels in normal skin and is hardly enhanced during the first 8 h of patch test reactions [30].
• In this group, biopsies from positive atopic allergen patch tests showed an enhanced density of fibers labeled by antibody to Neuron-specific protein 9.5 and a lower density in labeling for Tyrosine hydroxylase [31].
• In 48-h inhalant allergen patch test reactions, however, IFN-gamma mRNA and IL-2 mRNA expression were increased above levels observed in control skin, whereas IL-4 mRNA expression was decreased below background levels [17].

Analytical, diagnostic and therapeutic context of Patch Tests

• CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate that the results of ethanol patch testing correlate well with ALDH2 genotype, as determined by means of PCR, suggesting that the ethanol patch test is useful for the screening of alcohol-induced asthma [15].
• In an attempt to differentiate an allergic patch test response from an irritant response, we evaluated by flow cytometry the percentages of various epidermal cell populations isolated from allergen and irritant-treated patch test sites [32].
• METHODS: We used prick and intradermal tests as well as patch tests with penicillin determinants, ampicillin, amoxicillin and any other suspect penicillins [33].
• We studied the expression of the adhesion molecule alpha6 integrin by immunohistochemistry in spontaneous atopic inflammation as well as during the eliciting phase of atopen (Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus), antigen (nickel sulfate) and irritative (anthralin) induced patch test reactions in atopic skin [34].
• We report the results of a randomized, double-blind multicenter study in patients with AE on the relevance and technical aspects of aeroallergen patch testing (atopy patch test, APT) [35].

References