Environmental pollutants

Use of the LTT to detect individual sensitisations to environmental pollutants

Due to their hapten effects, almost all chemical substances can cause a type IV allergy similar to metals or medications. The increasing importance of xenobiotics in our environment explains the growing number of immunological sensitisations.

Pollutants with sensitisation properties include among others

  • phthalates (plasticisers)
  • wood preservatives
  • fungicides
  • herbicides
  • insecticides
  • solvents
  • flame retardants

With these substances, in-vitro testing using the LTT should always be preferred to the epicutaneous test because:

  • many of the mentioned substances have skin-irritating properties.
  • it cannot be ruled out that epicutaneous testing itself can cause a sensitisation to the pollutant.
  • a carcinogenic effect to the skin is possible
  • in the interpretation of positive test reactions it cannot be distinguished between allergy- and irritation-triggered skin reactions.

With the LTT, a great number of pollutants can be tested in a standardized way. To make lab requests easier, the most important allergens have been compiled into profiles which are content-wise partially overlapping.

LTT MCS Environmental Factors:

Tests are performed for nickel, mercury, latex, PCP, PCB, permethrin, formaldehyde, methyl methacrylate, Aspergillus fumigatus, Penicillium chrysogenum, phthalic anhydride, dichlofluanid, PAK mix, 1,6-diisocyanatohexane

LTT Environmental Factors

LTT Environmental Pollutants

LTT Flame Retardants

LTT Plasticisers

Literature

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