Efficacy of dry-cleaning in removing Fel d 1 allergen from wool fabric exposed to cats.
BACKGROUND
The main cat allergen (Fel d 1) is ubiquitous, having been found even in indoor environments and public places where a cat has never been kept. Clothes of cat owners constitute a carrier for the distribution of Fel d 1 allergen in these environments. Schools, for example, may be a site of indirect exposure to cat allergens.


OBJECTIVE
Our goal was to investigate the efficacy of commercial dry-cleaning in removing cat allergens from wool fabrics that had been exposed to cats to evaluate a possible preventive procedure.


METHODS
Twenty-six identical wool "squares" (80 x 100 cm) were put in cat baskets for 1 week. In our laboratory, the squares were cut in half (40 x 50 cm), and one half was subjected to high-volume sampling for 5 minutes in a cat-free room. The other half was subjected to commercial dry-cleaning and then the high-volume sampling. Five wool squares not exposed to cats served as controls. Dust was collected from the wool squares with a high-volume air sampler. Particulate material was harvested onto glass fiber filters (AP 20 Millipore, Milan, Italy) with 25-mm diameter and 2-microm pore size. Each dust sample was assayed by affinity-purified monoclonal antibody against purified Fel d 1. The results were expressed as micrograms per filter. Statistical analysis was done by using the paired t test.


RESULTS
Before dry-cleaning, Fel d 1 allergen was detected on all cat-exposed wool squares. No appreciable cat allergen was detected on control materials. After commercial dry-cleaning, the amounts of Fel d 1 extracted from cat-exposed squares were significantly reduced (t = 14.63; P < 0.001) but not abolished. Three of the five control squares were contaminated by Fel d 1.


CONCLUSIONS
Commercial dry-cleaning effectively removes large amounts of cat allergen from wool materials exposed to cats but does not completely abolish this protein. Further, low Fel d 1 contamination may occur during this procedure.
Liccardi
Gennaro
G
Department of Chest Diseases, Hospital A. Cardarelli, Naples, Italy. gennaro.liccardi@tin.it
Russo
Maria
M
Barber
Domingo
D
Gilder
Jean Anne
JA
Di
Perna Felice
PF
Parmiani
Silvano
S
D'Amato
Maria
M
D'Amato
Gennaro
G
D000818:Animals; D002415:Cats; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D014935:Wool
D006023:Glycoproteins; C059296:Fel d 1 protein, Felis domesticus