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Contact Allergy to Protective Gloves

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Contact Dermatitis

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Abstract

Contact allergy to protective gloves is common, especially in occupational settings, and should be considered in all patients with hand dermatitis. Leather gloves are a significant cause of allergic contact dermatitis due to chromium. Rubber gloves induce contact allergy by two mechanisms: immediate and delayed contact allergy. Immediate allergy manifests as contact urticaria or protein contact dermatitis. It is due to proteins of natural rubber latex (NRL) that are only present in NRL gloves, not in gloves made of synthetic rubber (e.g., nitrile). NRL allergy has become quite rare in many developed countries. All rubber gloves, made of either NRL or synthetic rubber, may induce contact allergy due to various rubber additives. Thiurams, dithiocarbamates, and benzothiazoles are the main sensitizing additives in rubber gloves. NRL contact urticaria is diagnosed by prick testing or determination of specific IgE in the serum. The diagnosis of delayed glove allergy requires patch testing. The European baseline series contains the main sensitizers. When rubber glove allergy is suspected, it is recommendable to perform aimed testing with a rubber additive series and using pieces of the suspected glove material. Plastic glove allergy is not extremely rare, and most reported cases have been due to polyvinyl chloride (PVC) gloves. The diagnosis of plastic glove allergy is difficult. Commercial patch test preparations only rarely reveal the allergen, and the diagnosis usually requires patch testing with the individual chemicals in the gloves.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Occupational Medicine, Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, Helsinki, Finland

    Kristiina Aalto-Korte

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  1. Kristiina Aalto-Korte
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Correspondence to Kristiina Aalto-Korte .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Amtssygehuset Gentofte Dept. Dermatology, Hellerup, Denmark

    Jeanne Duus Johansen

  2. Federal Institute for Vaccines & Biomed, Paul Ehrlich Institut Federal Institute for Vaccines & Biomed, Langen, Bayern, Germany

    Vera Mahler

  3. Institut le Bel Labo. Dermatochimie, Strasbourg CX, France

    Jean-Pierre Lepoittevin

  4. Hautklinik, Städtische Kliniken Dortmund Klinikzentrum Mitte, Dortmund, Germany

    Peter J. Frosch

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Aalto-Korte, K. (2020). Contact Allergy to Protective Gloves. In: Johansen, J., Mahler, V., Lepoittevin, JP., Frosch, P. (eds) Contact Dermatitis. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-72451-5_74-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-72451-5_74-2

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-72451-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-72451-5

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference MedicineReference Module Medicine

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Chapter history

  1. Latest

    Contact Allergy to Protective Gloves
    Published:
    10 June 2020

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-72451-5_74-2

  2. Original

    Gloves
    Published:
    16 October 2019

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-72451-5_74-1

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