title: The dose of house dust mite antigen (P1) inhaled by infants aged one month.
abstract: A survey of the habitats occupied by 12 infants of one month of age revealed that approximately 10% of their day was spent in conditions of potential exposure to the major (P1) allergen of the house dust mite, Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus. A respiratory pump which reproduced the minute ventilation of an infant was placed in representative infant habitats. The P1 allergen trapped by the filter in this pump was measured as an estimate of infants' allergen intake. Detectable P1 intake was only present when there was active air disturbance (bed making and vacuuming). The average P1 intake was approximately 3 ng P1/24 hours. Comparison of this P1 intake with that which sensitizes in other situations suggests that it is usually inadequate to sensitize infants.
mesh_terms: D000485:Allergens; D001249:Asthma / Q000276:immunology*; D004306:Dose-Response Relationship, Immunologic; D004391:Dust; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008925:Mites
chemical_list: D000485:Allergens; D004391:Dust