Association between mite allergen (Der p 1, Der f 1, Blo t 5) levels and microscopic identification of mites or skin prick test results in asthmatic subjects.
BACKGROUND
Mite allergens have been involved in airway sensitization and allergic diseases. Immunoassays for the identification and quantifiction of house dust mite (HDM) allergens are useful to improve the knowledge of regional mite fauna and the remediation of mite allergens in allergic diseases. The present study analyzed the association between levels of HDM allergen and results of mite identification or skin prick test (SPT) in two different areas of Bahia, Brazil.


METHODS
Forty-two asthmatic subjects from a rural area (group I; n = 21) and a slum (group II; n = 21) were evaluated through SPT with HDM allergens and had dust samples collected at their homes for mite identification and allergen measurements.


RESULTS
Positive SPT to Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus, Dermatophagoides farinae and Blomia tropicalis allergens were observed in 42.9, 38.0 and 42.9% subjects from group I and in 47.6, 19.0 and 33.3% subjects from group II, respectively. D. pteronyssinus and B. tropicalis were identified in approximately 76 and 50% of samples from both groups, respectively. D. farinae was identified in 38.0 and 9.5% of samples from groups I and II, respectively (p < 0.005). Der p 1, Der f 1 and Blo t 5 detection were associated with mite identification (p < 0.05). Association between HDM allergen levels over 2 microg/g of dust and positive SPT occurred only with D. pteronyssinus (p < 0.0001).


CONCLUSIONS
D. pteronyssinus was the most prevalent mite species in this study followed by B. tropicalis and D. farinae. Immunoassays done to measure mite allergens were associated with mite-species identification. We conclude that these three mite species must be included on panels for the diagnosis of allergic airway diseases in subjects living in such regions.
Medeiros
Manoel
M
Serviço de Imunologia, Hospital Universitario Professor Edgar Santos, Federal University of Bahia, Salvador, Brazil. imuno@ufba.br
Figueiredo
Joanemile P
JP
Almeida
Maria C
MC
Atta
Ajax M
AM
Taketomi
Ernesto A
EA
Silva
Deise A O
DA
Terra
Silvia A
SA
Amorim
Welma W
WW
Pinho
Ricardo S
RS
Araujo
Maria I
MI
Carvalho
Edgar M
EM
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D016902:Air Pollution, Indoor / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000032:analysis*; D000485:Allergens / Q000145:classification* / Q000276:immunology*; D039741:Antigens, Dermatophagoides / Q000145:classification* / Q000276:immunology*; D052179:Antigens, Plant; D060829:Arthropod Proteins; D001249:Asthma / Q000276:immunology*; D001938:Brazil; D002648:Child; D003546:Cysteine Endopeptidases; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008853:Microscopy; D039981:Pyroglyphidae / Q000145:classification* / Q000276:immunology*; D012423:Rural Health; D012882:Skin Tests; D013223:Statistics as Topic
D000485:Allergens; D039741:Antigens, Dermatophagoides; D052179:Antigens, Plant; D060829:Arthropod Proteins; C094701:allergen Blo t 5; D003546:Cysteine Endopeptidases; C451159:Dermatophagoides farinae antigen f 1; C451162:Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus antigen p 1