Increased rates of contact allergy to selected preservatives in patients with allergic contact dermatitis in Turkey

Background: Preservatives are a frequent cause of allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) and have caused numerous epidemics.

Objectives: The objective of this study is to determine the prevalence of preservative sensitivity, assess the change in the frequency of sensitivity, identify new preservatives with increased sensitivity rates, and evaluate the situation in Turkey by comparing our findings with current literature.

Methods: A total of 201 patients diagnosed with ACD between 2018 and 2020, were patch tested with the European baseline series and additional seven preservative haptens. The change in the prevalence of sensitivity to each preservative hapten was investigated by comparing the data from the study conducted in our department between 2000 and 2004.

Results: Results showed that 17.4% (n = 35) of the patients were positive to preservatives. Comparison with previous data from 2000 to 2004 revealed an increase in the frequency of sensitization. The most prevalent allergen was methyldibromo glutaronitrile (9.5%), followed by methylchloroisothiazolinone/methylisothiazolinone (6.5%), and methylisothiazolinone (5%).

Conclusion: The increase in preservative sensitivity in Turkey is the most remarkable finding. Although MDBGN was prohibited in cosmetic products, MCI/MI and MI are still widely used. Our findings suggest that awareness of preservative sensitivity should be increased and additional precautions should be taken, also in Turkey, regarding the use of preservatives.