In vitro and in vivo analysis of pro‐ and anti‐inflammatory effects of weak and strong contact allergens

Abstract

Inflammation is a crucial step in the development of allergic contact dermatitis. The primary contact with chemical allergens, called sensitization, and the secondary contact, called elicitation, result in an inflammatory response in the skin. The ability of contact allergens to induce allergic contact dermatitis correlates to a great extent with their inflammatory potential. Therefore, the analysis of the sensitizing potential of a putative contact allergen should include the examination of its ability and potency to cause an inflammation. In this study, we examined the inflammatory potential of different weak contact allergens and of the strong sensitizer 2,4,6-trinitrochlorobenzene (TNCB) in vitro and in vivo using the contact hypersensitivity model, the mouse model for allergic contact dermatitis. Cytokine induction was analysed by PCR and ELISA to determine mRNA and protein levels, respectively. Inflammation-dependent recruitment of skinhoming effector T cells was measured in correlation with the other methods. We show that the sensitizing potential of a contact allergen correlates with the strength of the inflammatory response. The different methods used gave similar results. Quantitative cytokine profiling may be used to determine the sensitizing potential of chemicals for hazard identification and risk assessment.

Evidence and conjecture about mechanisms of cutaneous disease in photodermatology

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Different characteristics of reactive oxygen species production by human keratinocyte cell line cells in response to allergens and irritants

“…Contact allergens can elicit inflammatory response in the skin, which is a crucial step in the development of ACD (5). However, distinguishing between allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) and irritant contact dermatitis (ICD) by clinical and histological examination alone can be difficult.…”

A roadmap for the development of alternative (non-animal) methods for systemic toxicity testing

“…Work by Stefan Martin (University of Freiburg) and others has provided new insights into the role of the innate immune system in skin sensitization, and interactions between inflammatory reactions and adaptive and innate immune responses. This research will help define the danger signals and cofactors that are required for the effective acquisition of sensitization (Lass et al, 2010;Martin et al, , 2011Martin and Jakob, 2008;Schmidt et al, 2010;Weber et al, 2010). mammalian species (non-human primate or dog).…”