Contact urticaria from protein hydrolysates in hair conditioners

Protein hydrolysates (PHs) are added to hair-care products (to "repair" broken hair), soaps, bath gels, creams, etc. From one to 22 PHs used in hair-care products (collagen, keratin, elastin, milk, wheat, almond, and silk) were tested in three patient groups: A) 11 hairdressers with hand dermatitis B) 2160 consecutive adults with suspected allergic respiratory disease subjected to routine skin prick tests C) 28 adults with atopic dermatitis.
In group A, all the 22 PHs were tested with scratch and patch tests. In groups B and C, one to three PHs were tested with prick tests. Positive scratch/prick test reactions were seen in 12 patients from three PHs altogether. All were women with atopic dermatitis, and all reacted to at least hydroxypropyl trimonium hydroly:ed collagen (Crotein Q"). In three patients, prick and open tests with a hair conditioner containing Crotein Q were performed with positive results. One patient reported contact urticaria on her hands, and two reported acute urticaria on their head, face, and upper body from a hair conditioner containing Crotein Q. In seven of the eight studied sera, specific IgE to Crotein Q was detected. In conclusion, PHs of hair cosmetics can cause contact urticaria, especially in patients with atopic dermatitis.     

Hereditary hemochromatosis gene (HFE) mutations C282Y, H63D and S65C in patients with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy

BACKGROUND: Hereditary hemochromatosis (HH), a common autosomal recessive disease, leads to excessive iron accumulation in some organs, including the heart. It is therefore not surprising that cardiomyopathy is one of the most severe complications of HH. The HFE gene defects have been thought to contribute to idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy (IDCM) in some patients, even though the results of genotype analyses have so far been contradictory. Hence we set out here to evaluate the prevalence and potential role of HFE mutations in patients with IDCM. METHODS: A total of 91 IDCM patients and 102 controls were subjected to HFE mutation analyses, in which C282Y, H63D and S65C mutations were determined for each patient. We also analyzed the impact of the C282Y and H63D mutations on the left ventricular end-diastolic diameter (LVEDD), left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional classes. RESULTS: The prevalences of heterozygosity for the C282Y, H63D and S65C mutations in the IDCM patients were 13.2%, 22.0% and 2.2%, respectively. LVEDD was significantly higher (P=0.037) in those with the C282Y mutation at the end of the follow-up period than in those with no mutation. CONCLUSIONS: Our data showed no significant deviations in C282Y, H63D and S65C mutation frequencies between the IDCM patients and controls, suggesting that these mutations do not increase the risk of IDCM. Heterozygosity for the C282Y mutation may nevertheless be a modifying factor contributing to LV dilatation and remodeling.     

Allergy to ingredients of vehicles

Common ingredients of vehicles such as perfumes, antibacterial agents, emulsifiers and other surface active agents, propylene glycol, lanolin and wool alcohols were tested in eczema patients over a three-year period. Perfume allergy was detected in 3.6% of the cases, sensitivity to thiomersal in 2%, to sorbic acid in 0.8%, to parabens in only 0.3%, and to wool alcohols in 1.2%. Reactions to emulsifiers were seen over 1% of those tested.     

Effects of ethanol on lipids and atherosclerosis.

Moderate alcohol consumption is associated with an increase in plasma high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol concentration and a decrease in low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol concentration. Changes in the concentration and composition of lipoproteins are estimated to account for more than half of alcohol's protective effect for coronary heart disease. Alcohol intake also affects plasma proteins involved in lipoprotein metabolism: cholesteryl ester transfer protein, phospholipid transfer protein, lecithin:cholesterol acyltransferase, lipoprotein lipase, hepatic lipase, and phospholipases. In addition, alcohol intake may result in acetaldehyde modification of apolipoproteins. Furthermore, "abnormal" lipids, phosphatidylethanol and fatty acid ethyl esters are formed in the presence of ethanol and are associated with lipoproteins in plasma. Ethanol and ethanol-induced modifications of lipids may modulate the effects of lipoproteins on the cells in the arterial wall. The molecular mechanisms involved in these processes are complex, requiring further study to better understand the specific effects of ethanol in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. This review discusses the effects of ethanol on lipoproteins and lipoprotein metabolism, as well as the novel effects of lipoproteins on vascular wall cells.     

Frequency of sensitisation to the preservative Kathon® CG

The incidences of sensitisation to Kathon CG are reported for patients routinely tested from 1984 to 1986 in Bari, London, Louvain, Nijmegen, Oulu and San Francisco. For these 3 years, the overall frequency of sensitisation varied for women from 3.3% in Oulu to 0.6% in London and San Francisco and for men from 1.4% in Oulu to 0% in San Francisco. Women were predominantly sensitised, probably by cosmetics, toiletries and domestic cleaners. Occupational sensitisation was much less frequent.