[Prevalence of atopic conditions in patients with occupational contact allergic dermatitis: comparison between diagnostic tool]. / Prevalenza di atopia nella dermatite allergica da contatto professionale: confronto tra tecniche diagnostiche.

BACKGROUND: Occupational allergic contact dermatitis (OACD), to which atopy contributes to a as yet unspecified degree, accounts for a considerable number of work-related diseases. OBJECTIVES: We studied the prevalence of atopy in OACD patients. We also compared the ability of prick tests and specific IgE assays to detect it. METHODS: In 329 patients diagnosed with OACD at the Occupational Medicine Unit of Cagliari University Hospital between 2000 and 2009, we aimed at detecting atopic conditions with prick tests and IgE assays specific for allergens most frequently responsible for atopic reaction. A kappa test was used to assess concordance between the two assays. The 2 test for trend was used in the analysis of prevalence of atopy by age at diagnosis. RESULTS: A positive response was more frequently detected with prick tests (35.9%) than the specific IgE assays (31%). IgE assays for all the allergens we tested were more frequently positive among males (p range = 0.001-0.037). With either test, the highest observed prevalence of a positive response was to Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus. A significantly inverse trend with increasing age in the prevalence ofpositive reaction to Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus, Phleum pratense and Olea europaea (olive) allergens was also observed. The concordance between the two tests ranged between good (Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus, Phleum pratense and Olea europaea and moderate Artemisia vulgaris (mugwort) and Parietaria judaica. CONCLUSIONS: Our results showed a prevalence of atopic conditions in 31-35.9% of OACD patients. RESULTS: with the two assays were largely consistent, indicating that both prick tests an specific IgE assays are valid diagnostic tools for atopy.

Urinary 6-sulfatoxymelatonin excretion in humans during domestic exposure to 50 hertz electromagnetic fields.

OBJECTIVES: Exposure to extremely low frequency electromagnetic fields (ELF-EMF) has been suggested to suppress melatonin secretion, which might result in higher cancer risks because of its missing oncostatic action. We investigated the effects of residential exposure to ELF-EMF on the excretion of urinary 6-sulfatoxymelatonin (6-OHMS), the major melatonin metabolite, as an indicator of nocturnal melatonin secretion. METHODS: 6-OHMS was measured in two spot urine samples, collected at 22.00 h and 08.00 h, in 29 men and 22 women. Spot ELF-EMF measurements were conducted at the centre and the four angles of the living room, the bedroom, and the kitchen of study subjects at low current configuration (all lights and appliances turned off), and they were repeated immediately at high current configuration (all lights and appliances turned on). RESULTS: Risk of a reduced 6-OMHS nocturnal secretion was elevated for daily alcohol intake (OR = 6.4; 95%C.I. 1.4,33.1), and body mass index (BMI) above the median (OR = 2.2; 95%C.I. 0.5,9.6). Risk of disrupted rhythm of 6-OHMS excretion was moderately elevated for domestic ELF-EMF exposure above the upper tertile at low current configuration (OR = 2.6; 95%C.I. 0.4,15.7). CONCLUSION: Alcohol consumption, BMI, and gender seem to affect nocturnal melatonin secretion, while an effect of residential exposure to ELF-EMF is uncertain. Future studies should properly account for the effect of such variables, when addressing the hypothesis of disturbances in melatonin secretion as a plausible explanation for the reported excess risk of several tumoral diseases associated with low level ELF-EMF exposure.