The most frequent contact sensitizers and atopic diseases among consecutive patients of a Polish patch test clinic.

Justyna Pietowska1, Ewa Czarnobilska2, Radoslaw Spiewak1

1. Jagiellonian University Medical College, Department of Allergology, Krakow, Poland
2. Institute of Dermatology, Krakow, Poland

Source: Pietowska J, Czarnobilska E, Spiewak R. The most frequent contact sensitizers and atopic diseases among consecutive patients of a Polish patch test clinic. Allergy. 2008; 63 (Suppl 88): 320.

Aim: To determine the most frequent contact sensitizers and prevalence of atopic diseases among consecutive patients with suspect contact allergy.

Methods: We analyzed patients of a dermatological ambulatory in Krakow (Poland) who presented with suspicion of contact allergy. 275 patients were included into analysis (90 males and 185 females, aged 7-60 years) who were tested with at least one hapten from European Standard Series, and/or ammonium mercury chloride, thiomersal, propolis, and Dermatophagoides mix (Chemotechnique). Data on the presence of atopic diseases: eczema, rhinitis and asthma were obtained from the patients' files. Relationship between atopic diseases and contact allergy was determined using Chi2 test.

Results: Contact allergy to at least one of the tested haptens was found in 145 subjects (52.7%). 55.1% of patch tested females and 47.8% of males were positive. The most frequent sensitizer was Dermatophagoides mix (40.7%of all tested; 95%CI 22.2-59.3), nickel (24.0% of all tested; 95%CI 18.9-29.1%), thiomersal (18.6%; 95%CI 13.2-24.1%), propolis (15.09%; 95%CI 5.46-24.73) cobalt (11.5%; 7.7-15.3%), chromium (8.1%; 4.9-11.4%) and fragrance mix (6.6%; 3.7-9.6%). Nickel was the most frequent sensitizer both in females and males (respectively 26.4% and 19.1%). Past or present history of atopic eczema was present in 156 patients (58.9%), of allergic rhinits in 147 (55.5%), and of asthma in 89 (33.6%). Statistical analysis did not confirm any relationship between atopic eczema, allergic rhinitis, asthma and contact allergy (P>0.05).

Conclusions: The most frequent contact allergens in the analysed group are: Dermatophagoides mix, nickel and thiomersal. Dermatophagoides and propolis seem emerging allergens in Polish population, although the observation is based on a relatively small group. We could not demonstrate any relationship between contact allergy and atopic diseases.

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Dermatologist-allergist in Krakow (Cracow), Poland

Dermatopedia • encyclopedic journal of definitions in dermatology

Related articles:

  1. Śpiewak R. Patch testing for contact allergy and allergic contact dermatitis. Open Allergy J. 2008;1:42-51. doi: 10.2174/1874838400801010042 [PDF]
  2. Czarnobilska E, Obtułowicz K, Dyga W, Śpiewak R. The most important contact sensitizers in Polish children and adolescents with atopy and chronic recurrent eczema as detected with the expanded European Baseline Series. Pediatr Allergy Immunol. 2011; 22: 252-256. doi: 10.1111/j.1399-3038.2010.01075.x [PDF]

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Document created: 29 June 2026, last updated: 7 August 2026.