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The aim of this study was to determine the sensitization potential of morpholine (M), 4, 4-dithiodimorpholine (DTDM), morpholinyl-mercaptobenzothiazole (MMBT) and 2-mercaptobenzothiazole (MBT) in guinea pigs. 5% and 10% DTDM, MMBT and MBT produced irritation reactions. M up to 10% failed to irritate. Sensitization tests showed that all the guinea pigs treated with DTDM and MMBT were sensitized. Cross-sensitization tests showed that 60% of the DTDM-sensitized animals reacted to challenge with MMBT; 30% of the animals sensitized to DTDM reacted to challenge with M; 80% of the MMBT-sensitized animals reacted to challenge with MBT and 10% to challenge with M; 42% of the MBT-sensitized animals reacted to MMBT. The rank order of sensitization potential in guinea pigs observed from this study is DTDM, MMBT and then MBT. It appears that the disulfide bond, sulfur linkage and the sulfhydryl group may each play a role in the sensitizing capacity of these compounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Para-toluic acid (1:4 methylbenzoic acid) and ortho-toluic acid were found to be potent allergic sensitizers when applied to human skin. Cross-sensitivity was found between all three isomers, p-toluic, m-toluic, and o-toluic acids. It is suggested that this cross-sensitivity is explicable in terms of carrier protein specificity rather than by the presence of a common chemical sequence in the hapten or by conversion of the cross-reactants to an identical hapten. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The skin sensitization of cinnamaldehyde is probably initiated by the reaction of cinnamaldehyde with ∊-amino groups on protein side chains, α-Substituted cinnamaldehydes, which are known not to be skin sensitizers, react very slowly or not at all with amines in comparison with cinnamaldehyde. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A letter to the editor is presented in response to the article by Richard Rabin on the December 1989 issue regarding lead research.