Hand eczema in nickel‐sensitive female twins

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Abstract
The Danish Twin Register represents a population‐based twin sample where the twins enter the Register independently of disease.All female twins born between 1906–30 and available in the Register in January 1978 were sent a questionnaire concerning possible nickel sensitivity. Among 74ft pairs living in the eastern part of Denmark, 129 twins from 115 pairs had a possible nickel allergy. Through a subsequent personal visit and, in most eases, patch testing, 34 monozygotic probands from 30 pairs and 45 dizygotic probands from 41 pairs were considered to have a verified nickel sensitivity and fulfilled the restriction criteria for the present study.The prevalence of present or previous hand eczema in both the monozygotic and the dizygotic probands was 41% (95% confidence limits: 30–52%). In 15 of the 32 with hand eczema, this was in the form of a relapsing pompholyx.Analysis of the monozygotic pairs showed that the risk of developing hand eczema in the co‐twins seemed independent of whether the proband had nickel allergy and hand eczema or nickel allergy alone. Furthermore, it was found that the number of affected co‐twins was comparable with the background population. Thus the association between nickel allergy and hand eczema is probably not due to a common genetic predisposition. Environmental factors seem decisive.