Table 1. Demographic, clinical and investigative characteristics of CAD cases and population controls.

Characteristic	n (%)
Cases	Total 55
Male 28	(50.9)
Female 27	(49.1)
Fitzpatrick skin type I-III (including 10 FLG heterozygotes)	49 (89.1)
Fitzpatrick skin type IV-VI (FLG genotype undefined)	6 (10.9)
Abnormal photosensitivity by waveband (at time of recruitment)	55 cases
UVB only (305±5nm)	0
UVA only (335/365±30nm)	1 (1.8)
Visible only (400±30nm)	0
UVA and UVB	22 (40.0)
UVA and visible	4 (7.2)
All wavebands (UVB, UVA and visible light)	25 (45.5)
Photosensitivity resolved	3 (5.5)
Degree of UVB (305±5nm) sensitivity*
<10% of normal	17 (30.9)
11-19% of normal	7 (12.7)
20-49%	11 (20.0)
50-75%	11 (20.0)
≥76%	9 (16.4)
Atopic disease
Eczema, asthma, hay fever or food allergy	23 (41.8)
Immunoglobulin E levels (Ku/L)	13 (23.6)
Normal (<100)
100-999	17 (30.9)
1000-5000	10 (18.2)
> 5000	6 (10.9)
Unavailable	9 (16.4)
Positive reactions to contact allergens	42/55 cases (76.4%)
Single	5 (11.9)
Multiple	37 (88.1)
Number of patch test series with positive reaction per patient
Single series	19 (45.2)
2 series	15 (35.7)
3 series	7 (16.7)
4 series	1 (2.4)
Commonest positive patch test series
BCD Standard	38 (90.5)
Plants	12 (28.6)
Sunscreens**	7 (16.7)
Corticosteroids	3 (7.1)
Medicaments	3 (7.1)
Controls	Total 100
Male	50 (50.0)
Female	50 (50.0)

^*Abnormal UVB sensitivity (assessed by monochromator phototesting at 305±5nm (half-maximum bandwidth)): The minimal erythemal dose [MED] expressed as a percentage of the lowest normal value for MED at this waveband in healthy volunteers of skin phototype I-III. The lower the MED, the higher the level of abnormal photosensitivity. Thus, an MED of <60; 10% of normal is the most abnormally photosensitive;

^**sunscreen patch testing does not represent photopatch testing.