Scheman A J, Carroll P A, Brown K H, Osburn A H
Northwestern University Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois, USA.
Contact Dermatitis. 1998 Jun;38(6):332-6. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-0536.1998.tb05769.x.
Part I of this study explores whether clothing today contains formaldehyde levels likely to cause contact allergy in formaldehyde-allergic patients. Part II of this study examines whether current reactions to textiles may be due to allergy to textile resins and whether individuals with formaldehyde-related textile allergy will react to the newer low formaldehyde resins used in the textile industry. Part I: free formaldehyde was measured in 16 fabric specimens produced in the US and overseas. Additionally, since the textile industry has moved to the use of newer methods for measuring fabric formaldehyde content, the newer methodology was compared with the older methods used in the medical literature. Part II: 10 subjects with known textile contact allergy were patch tested to available Chemotechnique textile resins and 6 new low-formaldehyde resins used by the textile industry. Part I: 8 fabric specimens yielded no detectable formaldehyde and 7 specimens yielded <200 ppm free formaldehyde, using Schiff's reagent and Merck testing methods. 1 specimen showed approximately 2000 ppm formaldehyde, as measured by the Merck test, but only 24 ppm free formaldehyde when retested by the method described in Japanese Law #112. Part II: all subjects reacted strongly to formaldehyde and DMDHEU (the predominant resin currently used in textiles). 6 subjects reacted to EUMF. 2 subjects had mild reactions to the newer low-formaldehyde resins and 1 to the non-formaldehyde Fixapret NF. Our results suggest that most clothing today yields free formaldehyde levels unlikely to cause contact allergy in formaldehyde-allergic individuals. Japanese method #112 is the recommended methodology to measure free formaldehyde in future studies. DMDHEU may now represent the main cause of textile allergy and may be a better screen than EUMF for this problem. Newer resins yielding fabrics with <75 ppm free formaldehyde may cause occasional reactions, but are more likely to be tolerated by individuals with textile contact allergy. Treatment of these individuals should be directed at identification of reliable sources of garments utilizing these newer resins.
本研究的第一部分探讨了如今的衣物所含甲醛水平是否有可能在甲醛过敏患者中引发接触性过敏。本研究的第二部分则检验了当前对纺织品的反应是否可能归因于对纺织树脂过敏，以及患有与甲醛相关的纺织品过敏症的个体是否会对纺织工业中使用的新型低甲醛树脂产生反应。第一部分：对美国和海外生产的16个织物样本中的游离甲醛进行了测量。此外，由于纺织工业已转而采用更新的方法来测量织物甲醛含量，故将这种新方法与医学文献中使用的旧方法进行了比较。第二部分：对10名已知患有纺织品接触性过敏的受试者进行了斑贴试验，检测其对现有的科美技术纺织树脂以及纺织工业使用的6种新型低甲醛树脂的反应。第一部分：使用席夫试剂和默克测试方法，8个织物样本未检测到甲醛，7个样本的游离甲醛含量<200 ppm。通过默克测试测得1个样本的甲醛含量约为2000 ppm，但按照日本第112号法律所述方法重新检测时，其游离甲醛含量仅为24 ppm。第二部分：所有受试者对甲醛和二羟甲基二脲（目前纺织品中使用的主要树脂）均有强烈反应。6名受试者对欧洲人造纤维制造商联合会（EUMF）的产品有反应。2名受试者对新型低甲醛树脂有轻微反应，1名受试者对非甲醛固色剂Fixapret NF有轻微反应。我们的研究结果表明，如今大多数衣物的游离甲醛水平不太可能在甲醛过敏个体中引发接触性过敏。在未来的研究中，推荐使用日本第112号法律所述方法来测量游离甲醛。二羟甲基二脲现在可能是纺织品过敏的主要原因，对于这个问题而言，它可能比欧洲人造纤维制造商联合会的产品更适合作为筛查指标。游离甲醛含量<75 ppm的新型树脂制成的织物可能会偶尔引发反应，但更有可能被纺织品接触性过敏的个体所耐受。对这些个体的治疗应着眼于识别使用这些新型树脂的可靠服装来源。
