Allergens in the American Contact Dermatitis Society Core Series

In 2009, the American Contact Dermatitis Society (ACDS) proposed a Core Allergen Series (CAS) consisting of 80 allergens. The proposed ACDS series contains many of the same allergens present in other international series, including the European Standard Series (ESS), the Extended International Series (EIS), and the British Contact Dermatitis Society (BCDS) Series; however, the number of allergens recommended in the ACDS CAS is greater than other screening series. Some notable examples of allergens included in ACDS CAS that are absent in other international series are bacitracin, benzophenone, mixed dialkyl thioureas, multiple corticosteroids, acrylates, and sorbitan sesquioleate. The ACDS CAS, conversely, omits some allergens that are included in other series such as clioquinol and primin in the BCDS, EIS, and Swedish standard series. This contribution discusses the rationale and important aspects of allergens included in the ACDS CAS that are not included in other series.