• BACKGROUND
    • Multiple studies have evaluated diverse allergens in paediatric populations. Consensus is still lacking on which allergens are most commonly implicated in allergic contact dermatitis.
  • OBJECTIVES
    • To evaluate the proportion of positive reactions for allergens tested in children and to identify allergens with positive reactions in at least 1% of them.
  • METHODS
    • This was a systematic review of studies in PubMed (1966-2010) investigating allergens in at least 100 enrolled children. Proportions of positive reactions for each allergen were combined with random effects models across studies.
  • RESULTS
    • We included 49 studies with available data on 170 allergens. Each study tested a median of two allergens. Among the 94 allergens evaluated by at least two studies, 58 had estimates of positive reactions of at least 1% by random effects calculations, and for 21 of them the 95% confidence interval ensured that the proportion of positive reactions was at least 1%. The top five allergens tested by at least two studies included nickel sulfate, ammonium persulfate, gold sodium thiosulfate, thimerosal, and toluene-2,5-diamine (p-toluenediamine). For most allergens, the proportion of positive reactions was higher in studies published after 1995 than in earlier studies (p = 0.0065).
  • CONCLUSIONS
    • This meta-analysis offers guidance on which allergens are most prevalent in the paediatric population and should have priority for inclusion in standardized allergen series.