We conducted a case–control study to analyse the association of psoriasis of recent onset with smoking habits, body mass index (BMI) and stressful life events. Cases (n=560; median age 38) were patients with a first diagnosis of psoriasis and a history of skin manifestations of no longer than two years after the reported disease onset. Patients with a new diagnosis of skin diseases other than psoriasis (n=690; median age 36) were selected as controls. The risk of psoriasis was higher in ex- and current smokers than in never-smokers, the relative risk estimates (OR) being 1.9 for ex-smokers and 1.7 for smokers. Smoking was strongly associated with pustular lesions (32 patients, OR=5.3 for smokers). The frequency of psoriasis varied significantly in relation to a family history of psoriasis in first degree relatives, BMI (OR=1.6 and 1.9 for over weighted, BMI 26–29, and obese, BMI ≥ 30, respectively) and stressful life event score (compared to the lower index quartile, the OR being 2.2 for index values ≥115). Risk estimates, when taking into consideration the combined effect of these factors with smoking habits, were consistent with a multiplicative model of risk combination with no significant statistical interaction.

Background: Continual surveillance based on patch test results has proved useful for the identification of contact allergy.Objectives: To provide a current view on the spectrum of contact allergy to important sensitizers across Europe.Patients/Methods: Clinical and patch test data of 19 793 patients patch tested in 2005/2006 in the 31 participating departments from 10 European countries (the European Surveillance System on Contact Allergies' (ESSCA) www.essca‐dc.org) were descriptively analysed, aggregated to four European regions.Results: Nickel sulfate remains the most common allergen with standardized prevalences ranging from 19.7% (central Europe) to 24.4% (southern Europe). While a number of allergens shows limited variation across the four regions, such as Myroxylon pereirae (5.3–6.8%), cobalt chloride (6.2–8.8%) or thiuram mix (1.7–2.4%), the differences observed with other allergens may hint on underlying differences in exposures, for example: dichromate 2.4% in the UK (west) versus 4.5–5.9% in the remaining EU regions, methylchloroisothiazolinone/methylisothiazolinone 4.1% in the South versus 2.1–2.7% in the remaining regions.Conclusions: Notwithstanding residual methodological variation (affecting at least some ‘difficult’ allergens) tackled by ongoing efforts for standardization, a comparative analysis as presented provides (i) a broad overview on contact allergy frequencies and (ii) interesting starting points for further, in‐depth investigation.