STUDIES OF SKIN-HYPERSENSITIVITY TO LANOLIN*j

Many dermatologists have in the past studied the phenomenon of eczematous hypersensitivity of the human skin to lanolin (wool fat) (1—6). The reasons for this continuing interest are clear. Lanolin hypersensitivity is of practical im portance because of the very wide-spread modern use of this valuable substance in topical medicaments like ointments, pastes and emulsions, in cosmetics of many kinds (creams, lipsticks, shampoos, soaps, shaving creams, scalp lotions etc.), and in a very great variety of other consumer products (shoe polishes, floor waxes, clothing, etc.). Moreover, lanolin, a product of the sheep's skin, has many features resembling human sebum; and indeed these two fatty mixtures have numerous chemical constituents in common. The possibility therefore arose that lanolin hypersensitivity might actually prove to be an example of allergic sensitization to autogenous body substances—i.e. an instance of "auto-sensitization" of the human skin (5—7). The more recent studies of lanolin hypersensitivity attempted to discover the fractions or constituents responsible for the allergenic action of the mixture. These attempts had the twin objective first, of finding the allergenic substances and eliminating or reducing their sensitizing potential; and second, of studying the possible chemical or immunologic relationship of these allergenic ingredients to autochthonous substances found in, or on, the human skin. Our present report deals with further investigations in these directions, and particularly with expansion of the earlier findings of Sulzberger and Lazar (5) that the eczematogenous allergenic constituents of lanolin are found mainly in the fraction designated as "mixed lanolin alcohols" (1—18).