Allergenic potential of abietic acid, colophony and pine resin‐HA

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Abstract
Resin acids are considered to be the main allergens in colophony (rosin). Tall oils also contain resin acids and may then be potential sensitizers. A resin acid concentrate (pine resin-HA) together with Chinese colophony were included in a standard series and applied on 563 patients with contact dermatitis. Fourteen showed an isolated sensitivity to colophony and 2 to pine resin-HA. Six patients reacted to both test compounds. Guinea pig maximization tests (Magnusson and Kligman, 1969) showed that pine resin-HA (2 series) was a grade I allergen, abietic acid a grade III allergen and colophony a grade IV allergen. The risk that the resin acids in tall oils would induce contact sensitivity to workers exposed to tall oil-containing products like cutting fluids and cleansing agents is considered to be minimal.