American Contact Dermatitis Society 21 Annual Meeting

Results
Both isoeugenol and DNCB encapsulated in 200-300 nm ethosomes gave significantly increased
sensitization response in the modified local lymph node assay compared to the model allergens in
solution without ethosomes.
Conclusion
For the first time it is shown in animal experiments that encapsulation of contact allergens in vesicular
carrier systems may enhance the sensitization response. The clinical implications of this finding are
unclear.
Prevalence of Patch Test Reactivity to Metals in a Cohort of Veterans Exposed To
Shrapnel Fragments During Iraqi Conflicts
Marianna Shvartsbeyn, 1 Papapit Tuchinda, 2 Katherine S. Squibb, 3,4 Melissa A. McDiarmid, 3,5 and
Anthony A. Gaspari 6
1 Department of Pathology, New York University, New York, USA
2
Department of Dermatology, Faculty of Medicine, Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
3
Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
4
Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine,
Baltimore, Maryland, USA
5
Department of Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
6
Department of Dermatology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
U.S. Gulf War I veterans participating in the Baltimore VA Depleted Uranium Program Follow-Up
surveillance in Spring 2009 were screened for skin reactivity to metals utilizing patch testing (PT). Forty
veterans were tested with the extended metal series and soluble uranyl nitrate (0.25%, 2.5%, and 25%).
Seventeen of them were also tested for sensitivity to nickel, cobalt and chromium. Elevated urine uranium
was found in some veterans with retained DU fragments, yet none of them had significant PT reactions.
The highest prevalence of reactivity was observed with zinc, gold and manganese (25%, 15% and 12.5%,
respectively). Both zinc and manganese were found in metal fragments extracted from combat wounds.
The prevalence of PT reactivity to these metals in the general population is not well known. Prolonged
exposure to metals released from embedded fragments may induce immunologic reactivity in some
individuals and requires further study.
These studies were approved by the VA and University of Maryland IRBs.
Case Report: Patch Testing a Patient with Eosinophilic Gastroenteritis Resulting
in Dramatic Improvement
David Smart, MS (1), and Douglas L Powell, MD (2)
1- Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
2- University of Utah, Department of Dermatology, Salt Lake City, Utah
Eosinophilic gastroenteritis is a member of a heterogenous group of eosinophilic gastroenteropathies that
have in common an eosinophilic inflammation of the gut. These conditions commonly start in childhood
and can present with many manifestations including: nausea, dysphagia, abdominal pain, vomiting,
diarrhea, bowel obstruction, weight loss, or failure to thrive. A large portion of these cases are felt to be
caused by allergies to food both IgE mediated allergies as well as delayed-type allergies. Prick tests and
patch tests (usually described as atopic patch testing ) have been utilized to determine the food allergies.
All of the reports regarding these cases and studies are found in the allergy/immunology or
gastroenterology literature.
21