Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 1, 2026
Precision Implementation of Minimal Erythema Dose (MED) Testing to Assess Individual Variation in Human Inflammatory Response
Published on: October 3, 2019
Multicentre patch testing with a resol resin based on phenol and formaldehyde
Marléne Isaksson1, Annica Inerot, Carola Lidén
1Department of Occupational and Environmental Dermatology, Skåne University Hospital, Lund University, SE-205 02 Malmö, Sweden. marlene.isaksson@skane.se
Background:
Contact allergy to phenol-formaldehyde resins (PFRs) based on phenol and formaldehyde is not detected by a p-tertiary-butylphenol-formaldehyde resin (PTBP-FR) included in most baseline patch test series.
Objectives:
To investigate the rate of contact allergy to PFR-2 (a mixture of monomers and dimers from a resol resin based on phenol and formaldehyde) in a Swedish population, and to investigate associated simultaneous allergic reactions.
Methods:
Five centres representing the Swedish Contact Dermatitis Research Group included PFR-2 in their patch test baseline series for a period of 1.5 years.
Results:
Of 2504 patients tested, 27 (1.1%) reacted to PFR-2. Of those 27 individuals, 2 had a positive reaction to formaldehyde and 2 to PTBP-FR. Simultaneous allergic reactions were noted to colophonium in 6, to Myroxylon pereirae in 14, and to fragrance mix I in 15.
Conclusions:
The contact allergy frequency in the tested population (1.1%) merits its inclusion in the Swedish baseline series and possibly also in other baseline series. Simultaneous allergic reactions were noted to colophonium, M. pereirae, and fragrance mix I.
