Measurement of airborne mite antigen in homes of asthmatic children

doi:10.1016/0140-6736(90)92268-M

The Lancet

Volume 336, Issue 8720, 13 October 1990, Pages 895-897

https://doi.org/10.1016/0140-6736(90)92268-M Get rights and content

Abstract

The airborne concentration of major house dust mite antigen Der p1 was measured by low volume sampling (2 litres/min) in the homes of 68 allergic, asthmatic children. The presence of detectable airborne antigen was strongly associated with sensitivity to the mite, whereas there was no significant relation between sensitivity and the previously recommended threshold level of 2 μg Der p1 per g carpet dust. There was a significant association with lower threshold levels in carpet dust (0·5 μg/g) but at no level was the association as strong as that with air measurements. Concentrations of airborne antigen were higher in rooms with wool carpets than in those with synthetic carpets or hard floors, but there was no significant difference between the dust levels of Der p1 in the two carpet types. Air sampling is a more appropriate method of assessing antigen exposure than dust sampling for asthmatic patients.

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Although it is generally assumed that level of exposure is directly correlated with sensitization to dust mite allergen, this assertion has been challenged.38 Der p 1 levels have been associated with Der p 1 sensitization in a number of cohorts,13,14,39-41 many of which have included subjects recruited on the basis of atopy14,40 or a strong family history of atopy.13,39 Other studies have found no association between exposure and sensitization to Der p 1,29,42,43 and some have demonstrated an inverse association.44
The allergenicity of dust mite exposure might be dependent on variants in the gene for IL-10 (IL10).
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Measurement of airborne mite antigen in homes of asthmatic children

Abstract

J Allergy Clin Immunol

J Clin Immunol