The influence of patch tests with clobetasol propionate on adjacent patch test reactions

Contact allergy to corticosteroids now seems frequent among patients being patch tested. As corticosteroids are intrinsically anti-inflammatory, we investigated whether patch tests with a potent corticosteroid might suppress simultaneous adjacent patch test reactions to another allergen. Nickel-sensitive subjects were patch tested with an aqueous dilution series of nickel in duplicate, adjacent to patch tests with clobetasol propionate 1% in ethanol and with ethanol, respectively. Statistical evaluation of the results obtained in 2 different centers, using their own patch test techniques, did not reveal any suppression of the positive nickel patch test reactions.