P60 Permeability of gloves to plant allergens

Abstract

Objective: Study permeability of gloves to plant allergens, therefore evaluating glove efficacy for hand protection.Material and methods: We studied 20 female patients (aged 21–71; mean 45,1 years) with ACD from plants, 10 allergic to diallyl disulfide (DAD) from Allium sativa, 8 allergic to alpha‐methylene‐gama‐butyrolactone (AMGBL) from Alstroemeria ligtu and 2 allergic to primin from Primula obconica. Patch testing was performed applying the allergens, for 24 or 48 h, directly on the skin and over fragments of different gloves: domestic rubber gloves (RG), nitrile latex gloves (NG), vinyl gloves (VG), surgical latex gloves (LG) and polyethylene gloves (PG).Results: VG, PG or LG gloves offered no protection for these 3 allergens. With RG and NG gloves, DAD reactivity was abolished or significantly reduced, respectively, in 5 and 7 cases. Reactivity to AMGBL wasn’t abolished by any glove material. NG abolished skin reactivity to primin; RG was efficacious only in 1 patient.Conclusions: Advising gloves in patients with ACD from plants is difficult, as allergen permeability through gloves associated with occlusion may intensify the dermatitis, as occurred during skin testing. Nitrile latex gloves may protect from primin and garlic dermatitis, whereas they are not helpful for manipulating Alstroemeria. Although exposure time in this study is higher than in real life, results show interesting data on glove permeability to these plant allergens and support our patients’ complaints that gloves didn’t protect them.