A method for assessment of exposure to rubber glove allergens

Background: Use of disposable protective gloves in health care is necessary both to protect patients and personnel. However, the use might also be responsible for skin disease among persons wearing the gloves. Dermatitis may be caused by additives in the gloves, either from manufacturing of the glove material or components in coatings applied after vulcanization. Objectives: We wanted to analyse to what extent chemicals were deposited to skin from the glove and to compare these results with analysis of the glove itself. Methods: After usage of protective gloves, the hands are washed with an ethanolic water solution in a plastic bag for 1 min. The wash solution is then analysed by different HPLC-methods to determine how much of each rubber allergen that has been left on the skin surface. Similar gloves are analysed by traditional methods by extraction with organic solvents to see which rubber allergens that are present in the glove. Results: Two different HPLC-methods were then chosen for analysis of the wash solution. Firstly a cyano-column was used for analysis of basic analytes like cetylpyridinium chloride and diphenylguanidine and secondly a nickel salt derivatisation stepwas used to stabilise dithiocarbamates for analysis on a C18 column. In the latter system thiurams and mercaptobenzothiazoles were analysed simultaneously. Conclusions: By this mild and non-invasive method we could analyse dermal exposure to the most important allergens in rubber gloves. The method enables us to assess how for example different working procedures before and during the use of protective gloves will influence on the amounts of chemicals that are deposited on the skin from different gloves.