Patch testing with a textile dye mix and its constituents in a baseline series.

BACKGROUND: Among the textile dyes, disperse dyes are common sensitizers. OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether patch testing with a textile dye mix consisting of eight disperse dyes would be equivalent to testing with the separate ingredients of the mix at the concentrations used in the mix. METHODS: Researchers tested 1,780 consecutive patients with a mix consisting of Disperse Blue 35, Disperse Yellow 3, Disperse Orange 1, Disperse Orange 31 (mislabeled as Disperse Orange 3), Disperse Red 1 and 17, all at 0.5%, and Disperse Blue 106 and 124, both at 0.1%, and with the ingredients at these concentrations. Testing with the labeled dyes at 1.0% was done on 500 of the patients and additionally on the remaining patients who reacted positively to the mix, any of the ingredients, p-phenylenediamine, or black rubber mix. RESULTS: Thirty-five patients (2%) reacted to the mix, and 34 patients were allergic to at least one ingredient tested at the lower concentration. CONCLUSION: The textile dye mix was as good a detector of contact allergy to the disperse dyes as was testing with any combination of the ingredients at the concentration in the mix. Increasing the concentration of the ingredients of the textile dye mix might increase the sensitivity of the mix.