RESUMO
Houses features contribute to house dust mite abundance and, therefore, exposure to mite allergens. Our study assessed the hypothesis that modernization of the domestic environment in a tropical setting may lead to a level of allergen from the house dust mites Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (Trouessart) and D. farinae Hughes that previously has been defined clinically as at risk for people who suffer from allergic disease. Allergen (Der p 1 and Der f 1) levels were measured at 4 sites (mattress, bedroom floor, living room floor, and furniture) in 17 houses in Barbados during dry and rainy seasons. Der p 1 (17 of 17 homes) at all 4 sites did not vary significantly from the dry to rainy season. Allergen levels varied according to site, and were highest in living room furniture in both seasons (geometric mena 40.37 and 64.17 micrograms/g, respectively). Concentration of Der p 1 allergens were higher in concrete than in wood or mixed concrete and wood houses. Der f 1 (9 of 17 homes) levels were lower than Der p 1 by 1/1,000 (both seasons). Results indicated that season is less important in regard to levels of Der p 1 than house construction and confirm other studies that implicate D. pteronyssinus as a more abundant source of allergen than D. farinae in this tropical setting.(AU)
Assuntos
21003 , Humanos , Alérgenos/análise , Glicoproteínas/análise , ÁcarosRESUMO
Little information is available on mite allergen levels and rates of sensitization to domestic mites in South America. The purpose of this study was to establish the rate of sensitization to domestic mites in asthmatics and measure mite allergen levels in pillows and mattresses of mite allergic individuals in Santa Fe, Argentina. Dust samples were collected from the pillows and mattresses of 56 asthmatics (24 females and 32 males, mean age 17.6 +/- 11.5 years), who had been previously skin tested with standardized extracts of Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus, Dermatophagoides farinae and (1:50 w/v) extracts of Aleuroglyphus ovatus, Blomia tropicalis, Chortoglyphus arcuatus. A wheal > or = 3 mm was considered positive. Sensitization to Lepidoglyphus destructor and Euroglyphus maynei was determined by RAST and considered positive when a serum bound > or = 1% of the total counts added. Forty six individuals had a positive skin test to D. pteronyssinus, 43 to D. farinae, 27 to A. ovatus, 38 to B. tropicalis, 27 to C. arcuatus; 38 of 54 individuals had a positive RAST to E. maynei and 22 of 54 to L. destructor. The mean Group 1 (Der p 1 + Derf 1) level in pillows (n = 48) was 6.7 micrograms/g (1-55.4) and in mattresses (n = 52) 4.3 micrograms/g (1-38.8). There is a high degree of sensitization to domestic mites among asthmatics in Santa Fe. High mite allergen levels (> 2 micrograms/g) can be detected very often in pillows and mattresses.