Occupational methacrylate and acrylate allergy--cross-reactions and possible screening allergens

Acrylic resin monomers, especially acrylates and methacrylates, are important occupational allergens.

To analyse patterns of concomitant patch test reactions to acrylic monomers in relation to exposure, and to suggest possible screening allergens.

We reviewed the patch test files for the years 1994-2009 at the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health for allergic reactions to acrylic monomers, and analysed the clinical records of sensitized patients.

In a group of 66 patients allergic to an acrylic monomer, the most commonly positive allergens were three methacrylates, namely ethyleneglycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA), 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (2-HEMA) and 2-hydroxypropyl methacrylate (2-HPMA), and an acrylate, namely diethyleneglycol diacrylate (DEGDA). The patterns of concomitant reactions imply that exposure to methacrylates may induce cross-reactivity to acrylates, whereas exposure to acrylates usually does not lead to cross-allergy to methacrylates. Screening for triethyleneglycol diacrylate (TREGDA) in the baseline series was found to be useful, as 3 of 8 patients with diagnosed occupational acrylate allergy might have been missed without the screening.

A short screening series of four allergens, EGDMA, DEGDA, 2-HPMA and pentaerythritol triacrylate (PETA), would have screened 93% of our 66 patients; each of the remaining 5 patients reacted to different acrylic monomer(s).