Inhibition of induction of human contact sensitization by topical glucocorticosteroids

Ten healthy human volunteers were exposed to a primary sensitizing dose of 1 mg dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB) by an open topical technique within an area that had been pretreated with a potent topical glucocorticosteroid compound. Quantitative elicitation testing was performed on the opposite side by an open patch test technique two weeks after the sensitizing application. One (10%) of the ten subjects became sensitized. A matched control group of ten subjects was similarly sensitized without steroid treatment. Eight (80%) of the ten became sensitized. One month later, five of the eight test subjects in whom sensitization had been prevented were retested in an identical fashion without steroid pretreatment, to determine if any degree of tolerance had been induced. All five subjects became sensitized. Topical glucocorticosteroids inhibited the development of sensitization to topically applied DNCB. Tolerance was not induced by this single process.