Recommendation to include a textile dye mix in the European baseline series.

BACKGROUND

Disperse dyes are common sensitizers, but are not currently included in the European baseline series.

OBJECTIVES

To justify the inclusion of a textile dye mix in the European baseline patch test series.

METHODS

A survey of the reported frequencies of contact allergy to textile dyes and textile dye mixes was performed by searching PubMed (http://www.ncbi.nlm.gov.ludwig.lub.lu.se/pubmed, last accessed 14 December 2014). The results from a multicentre study performed within the European Environmental Contact Dermatitis Research Group (EECDRG) and published in 2014 formed the final basis for the recommendation.

RESULTS

The EECDRG study performed in Europe and the United States showed that 2.1-6.9% of consecutively tested dermatitis patients reacted to a 6.6% wt/wt textile dye mix consisting of eight disperse dyes. The clinical relevance was ascertained in >30% of the positive cases. A high frequency of simultaneous sensitivity to Disperse Orange 3 (DO 3) and p-phenylenediamine (PPD) was seen. Active sensitization to the mix was not noted.

CONCLUSIONS

It is recommended to include a 6.6% textile dye mix consisting of eight disperse dyes in the European baseline series, even though one component, DO 3, may be superfluous, owing to its frequent cross-reactivity with PPD. Removal of DO 3 from the mix would need further study.