Skin disorders and prick and patch test reactivity in Finnish reindeer herders

In addition to an interview, skin tests and clinical examinations were performed on 211 randomly selected reindeer herders from 21 to 77 years of age (mean 45 years). Skin tests consisted of skin prick tests (SPT) with 9 allergens: cat and cow epithelium, dog, horse and reindeer epithelium, house dust mite, birch pollen, meadow grass pollen and mugwort pollen, as well as patch tests with 31 allergens. Of the 211 tested, 19 (9%) had positive SPT reactions to at least one allergen, and 19/173 (11%) showed a positive patch test result. Thirty-six of the 211 (17%) had past or present atopic dermatitis. These findings suggest that the prevalence of immediate and contact allergies and skin diseases is roughly the same as that of other Finns. A positive SPT reaction to birch pollen was encountered less frequently than in a previous Finnish study conducted in southeastern Finland.