Sodium metabisulfite as a contact allergen - an example of a rare chemical mechanism for protein modification

A glassy carbon electrode modified by a triply-fused-like Co(ii) polyporphine and its ability for sulphite oxidation and detection

An original Co(ii) porphyrin conductive polymer is electrosynthesized which efficiently catalyzes sulphite oxidation in water offering opportunities for sensor development.

A proposal to create an extension to the European baseline series

BACKGROUND

The current European baseline series consists of 30 allergens, and was last updated in 2015.

OBJECTIVES

To use data from the European Surveillance System on Contact Allergies (ESSCA) to propose an extension to the European baseline series in response to changes in environmental exposures.

METHODS

Data from departmental and national extensions to the baseline series, together with some temporary additions from departments contributing to the ESSCA, were collated during 2013-2014.

RESULTS

In total, 31689 patients were patch tested in 46 European departments. Many departments and national groups already consider the current European baseline series to be a suboptimal screen, and use their own extensions to it. The haptens tested are heterogeneous, although there are some consistent themes. Potential haptens to include in an extension to the European baseline series comprise sodium metabisulfite, formaldehyde-releasing preservatives, additional markers of fragrance allergy, propolis, Compositae mix, and 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate.

CONCLUSION

In combination with other published work from the ESSCA, changes to the current European baseline series are proposed for discussion. As well as addition of the allergens listed above, it is suggested that primin and clioquinol should be deleted from the series, owing to reduced environmental exposure.

Is skin penetration a determining factor in skin sensitization potential and potency? Refuting the notion of a LogKow threshold for skin sensitization

It is widely accepted that substances that cannot penetrate through the skin will not be sensitizers. LogKow and molecular weight (MW) have been used to set thresholds for sensitization potential. Highly hydrophilic substances e.g. LogKow ≤ 1 are expected not to penetrate effectively to induce sensitization. To investigate whether LogKow >1 is a true requirement for sensitization, a large dataset of substances that had been evaluated for their skin sensitization potential under Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and restriction of CHemicals (REACH), together with available measured LogKow values was compiled using the OECD eChemPortal. The incidence of sensitizers relative to non-sensitizers above and below a LogKow of 1 was explored. Reaction chemistry principles were used to explain the sensitization observed for the subset of substances with a LogKow ≤0. 1482 substances were identified with skin sensitization data and measured LogKow values. 525 substances had a measured LogKow ≤ 1, 100 of those were sensitizers. There was no significant difference in the incidence of sensitizers above and below a LogKow of 1. Reaction chemistry principles that had been established for lower MW and more hydrophobic substances were found to be still valid in rationalizing the skin sensitizers with a LogKow ≤ 0. The LogKow threshold arises from the widespread misconception that the ability to efficiently penetrate the stratum corneum is a key determinant of sensitization potential and potency. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.