Contact Dermatitis to Phenol-Formaldehyde Resin in Two Plywood Factory Workers

In the 2002 document, the authors reported on two cases of contact dermatitis in plywood factory workers caused by phenol-formaldehyde resin, a common adhesive in the industry. They referenced a Finnish study which found that 3.1% of 360 patients tested were allergic to this resin, indicating it is a notable allergen. The resin was identified to contain at least 14 contact sensitizers, with 4,4'-dihydroxy(hydroxymethyl)-diphenyl methanes being particularly potent. Additionally, the document mentioned that simultaneous allergic reactions to phenol-formaldehyde resins, colophony, and balsam of Peru were possible, though the implications of this were not fully understood. The document also covered a separate study on the use of peptides for treating inflammatory skin disease, involving 30 female BALB/c mice, which suggested that a core peptide could act as a steroid-sparing agent in T-cell-mediated inflammatory diseases, warranting further research for human application.