Contact allergy to reactive diluents and related aliphatic epoxy resins.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

Diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A resin (DGEBA-R) is the most common sensitizer in epoxy systems, but a minority of patients also develop contact allergy to reactive diluents.

OBJECTIVES:

To analyse the frequency and clinical relevance of allergic reactions to different epoxy reactive diluents and related aliphatic epoxy resins.

METHODS:

Test files (January 1991 to June 2014) were screened, and the clinical records of patients with allergic reactions were analysed for occupation, concomitant allergic reactions, and exposure.

RESULTS:

A total of 67 patients reacted to at least one of the compounds. The largest numbers of allergic reactions were to phenyl glycidyl ether (PGE; n = 41), 1,4-butanediol diglycidyl ether (BDDGE; n = 34), and p-tert-butylphenyl glycidyl ether (PTBPGE; n = 19). Ten of the patients did not have contact allergy to DGEBA-R. The reactions of 5 of these were related to the use of BDDGE-containing products. We found no significant exposure to PGE or PTBPGE in patients sensitized to them, but some of the patients had used cresyl glycidyl ether-containing products.

CONCLUSIONS:

Allergic reactions to reactive diluents and related aliphatic epoxy resins usually occurred together with reactions to DGEBA-R. BDDGE was the clinically most significant compound, and was the sole cause of occupational allergic contact dermatitis in 3 patients.

• Authors: Kristiina Aalto-Korte, Outi Kuuliala, Maj-Len Henriks-Eckerman, Katri Suuronen
• Journal: Contact dermatitis (Contact Dermatitis) Vol. 72 Issue 6 Pg. 387-97 (Jun 2015) ISSN: 1600-0536 [Electronic] England
• PMID: 25711534 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)
• Copyright: © 2015 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Chemical References

• Benzhydryl Compounds
• Butylene Glycols
• Epoxy Compounds
• Epoxy Resins
• Phenyl Ethers
• glycidyl ethers
• phenylglycidyl ether
• 1,4-bis(2,3-epoxypropoxy)butane
• 2,2-bis(4-glycidyloxyphenyl)propane

Topics

• Benzhydryl Compounds (adverse effects)
• Butylene Glycols (adverse effects)
• Cohort Studies
• Dermatitis, Allergic Contact (epidemiology, etiology)
• Dermatitis, Occupational (epidemiology, etiology)
• Epoxy Compounds (adverse effects)
• Epoxy Resins (adverse effects)
• Finland (epidemiology)
• Hand Dermatoses (epidemiology, etiology)
• Humans
• Patch Tests
• Phenyl Ethers (adverse effects)
• Retrospective Studies