Immune Reactions in Contact Dermatitis Affected Skin
Condition: Allergic Contact Dermatitis
MeSH terms: Dermatitis; Dermatitis, Contact; Dermatitis, Allergic Contact
Study type: Observational

Summary: 
      This study hopes to improve the investigators understanding of how the immune system acts in
      allergic contact dermatitis. In order to reach this goal, normal volunteers, who are
      suspected of having allergic contact dermatitis, will be patch tested for the fifteen most
      common allergens. Then, biopsies will be taken of the skin at the sites where the there is a
      positive reaction to the allergen. Also, small biopsies will be taken from an area that
      received a patch but no allergen and an area that did not receive a patch to serve as
      controls. In a second stage of the study, volunteers will receive patches with the allergen
      to which they demonstrated an allergic response. More biopsies will be taken, over three
      designated time points. The biopsied skin samples will then be studied in a laboratory.
    

Detailed description: 
      Allergic contact dermatitis is a term for a skin reaction resulting from exposure to specific
      substances that come into contact with skin that is hypersensitive (allergic) to the
      substance. These substances are called "allergens." Some common allergens are nickel, rubber,
      dyes, poison ivy, poison oak and other related plants. These allergens do not cause a skin
      reaction in most individuals, but for some, once the skin becomes sensitive or allergic to
      the substance, any exposure to that specific allergen will produce a rash that may consist of
      redness, swelling and blisters. This rash may become worse with each exposure to the
      allergen. The skin reaction results from two phases. In the induction phase, initial exposure
      to the allergen occurs. The body recognizes the allergen as foreign and the immune system,
      which is the body's primary line of defense against infections and other things perceived as
      foreign to the body, mounts an immune response against the body, itself. During this immune
      response, cells specific to the allergen are activated. In the second phase, the elicitation
      phase, the skin is again exposed to the allergen and an immune response occurs, as the cells
      that are specific to the allergen attack the skin, leading to the rash. In order to diagnose
      allergic contact dermatitis, a clinician will discuss the materials that touch the patient's
      skin at work and home and perform patch tests. In a patch test, a very small amount of the
      suspected allergens are applied to the skin for a fixed time. After that designated time, the
      clinician will determine whether a reaction has occurred to the applied allergens. Currently,
      the main treatment for allergic contact dermatitis is avoidance of the allergen.

      This study hopes to improve our understanding of how the immune system acts in allergic
      contact dermatitis. In order to reach this goal, normal volunteers, who are suspected of
      having allergic contact dermatitis, will be patch tested for the fifteen most common
      allergens. Then, biopsies will be taken of the skin at the sites where the there is a
      positive reaction to the allergen. Also, small biopsies will be taken from an area that
      received a patch but no allergen and an area that did not receive a patch to serve as
      controls. In a second stage of the study, volunteers will receive patches with the allergen
      to which they demonstrated an allergic response. More biopsies will be taken, over three
      designated time points. The biopsied skin samples will then be studied in a laboratory by
      methods such as immunohistochemistry and microarray analysis, which will help define the
      progression of the immune reaction in allergic contact dermatitis. The rationale for the
      study is to better understand how the immune system is activated to produce the rash of
      allergic contact dermatitis, so that treatments can target the cells that are involved in the
      activation.
    

Intervention name(s): Patch tests
Intervention type(s): Other
Intervention description(s): Patch tests for allergic reaction
Observational model: Cohort
Time perspective: Prospective
Sampling method: Non-Probability Sample
Study population: 
        Allergic Contact Dermatitis
      
Biospecimen description: 
      Patch tests of skin
    
Keywords: Contact Dermatitis