High mite-allergen exposure increases the risk of sensitization in atopic children and young adults.
Concentrations of major allergens of Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (Dpt) and D. farinae (Df), Der p I and Der f I, were determined in 183 dust samples of mattresses of 133 atopic and 50 nonatopic children by a sandwich-type ELISA. Atopic children and young adults living in houses with high levels of Der p I and Der f I (greater than or equal to 2000 ng/gm of dust) were found to have significantly higher serum IgE levels to Dpt and Df (p less than 0.0001) compared to patients with low mite-allergen exposure. Washed leukocytes of 55 atopic children and 14 control subjects were investigated for in vitro histamine release to serial dilutions of Der p I; 86% of highly exposed (greater than or equal to 10,000 ng/gm) children demonstrated positive histamine release in response to Der p I compared to 17% in the group with very low exposure (less than 400 ng/gm). There was a positive correlation between basophil sensitivity (rs = 0.6; p less than 0.0001) and reactivity (rs = 0.54; p less than 0.0001) to Der p I and mite-allergen exposure. The relative risk for sensitization in the highly exposed group versus the group with very low exposure was sevenfold to 32-fold increased. We conclude that high concentrations of mite allergen (greater than or equal to 2000 ng/gm) increase the risk of specific sensitization in atopic children and young adults and thus may facilitate allergic airway disease.
Lau
S
S
University Children's Hospital, Berlin, West Germany.
Falkenhorst
G
G
Weber
A
A
Werthmann
I
I
Lind
P
P
Buettner-Goetz
P
P
Wahn
U
U
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000485:Allergens / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000276:immunology; D000818:Animals; D001491:Basophils / Q000276:immunology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004306:Dose-Response Relationship, Immunologic; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D006636:Histamine Release; D006801:Humans; D006967:Hypersensitivity / Q000276:immunology*; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000096:biosynthesis; D007223:Infant; D008925:Mites / Q000276:immunology*; D011852:Radioallergosorbent Test
D000485:Allergens; D007073:Immunoglobulin E