Purpose
This study aimed to address gaps in Korean Standard Series (KSS) information, highlight allergens with increasing patch test positivity, describe potential sources encountered in daily life, and provide guidance on selecting allergen-free alternatives.
Methods
Relevant information was identified from KSS patient instruction sheets (Chemotechnique, Sweden), T.R.U.E. TEST patient instruction sheets (SmartPractice, United States), the Contact Dermatitis Institute allergen database, the American Contact Dermatitis Society allergen information sheets, and searches of the PubMed database. English-language review articles, case series, and case reports identified using keywords related to the 25 KSS allergens were selected.
Results
Information was updated for the following allergens: nickel, cobalt, potassium dichromate, balsam of Peru, paraben mix, N-isopropyl-N'-phenyl-p-phenylenediamine, formaldehyde, p-tert-butylphenol formaldehyde resin, methylchloroisothiazolinone/methylisothiazolinone, colophonium, imidazolidinyl urea, and 2-mercaptobenzothiazole. Emerging sources included electronic devices, personal protective equipment, including masks whose use increased during the COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic, nail products, and children’s toy slime. In addition, occupational allergen information sheets were developed for hairdressers, healthcare workers, dentists, dental hygienists, and cooks. The Korean-language allergen sheets are provided in the Supplementary Materials.
Conclusion
Because the KSS has not been revised for more than 2 decades, emerging allergen sources may be inadequately represented in the existing patient information. Accordingly, updated patient instruction sheets were developed to improve patient understanding and facilitate the practical application of patch test results.

Objectives

Urticaria is multifactorial disease. Type 1 hypersensitivity reaction plays an important role in developing or aggravating the disease, so determining of the causative allergens and avoiding them from patient's environment are helpful in treating the disease. The purpose of this study is to estimate the positive rate of each allergens in urticaria patients and to assess the differences by sex, age, year, residence type and the duration of the disease.

Methods

We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 304 patients with urticaria who underwent skin prick test and 707 patients with urticaria who underwent serum allergen test at the department of dermatology in Mok-Dong Hospital, Ewha Womans University for 10 years from March 1998 to April 2008.

Results

In skin prick test, the positive rates of major allergen were D.farinae 52.0%, D.pteronyssinus 47.7%, cockroach mix 27.3%, weeds 15.8%, shellfish 15.1% in that order. D.farinae, D.pteronyssinus and cockroach mix had the highest positive rates in acute and chronic urticaria, but the rates in acute urticaria were much lower than those in chronic urticaria. In serum allergen test, the positive rates of major allergen were D.farinae 31.8%, D.pteronyssinus 24.5%, housedust 24.0%, acarus siro 11.0%, cat fur 9.3%. D.farinae and D.pteronyssinus showed the highest positive rates in 20s and cockroach mix in 40s.

Conclusion

Some allergens had statistically significant differences of positive rates by each parameter. Therefore identifying and analysing allergen trends would play an important role in deprivation therapy in urticaria patients.