title: Detection of mouse and rat urinary aeroallergens with an improved ELISA.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Risk analysis of laboratory animal work presupposes allergen monitoring with sensitive methods. Commercial ELISA kits have recently become available for the detection of mouse (Mus m 1) and rat (Rat n 1) urinary allergen from settled dust samples and air samples with high allergen levels.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Our aims were to enhance the sensitivities of the commercial ELISA kits for low aeroallergen levels (less than 1 ng/m(3)) and to test these methods with air samples collected from an animal facility.
  
  
  METHODS
  Personal and stationary air samples were collected from an animal facility during various tasks of laboratory animal work and from various premises of the animal facility.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The sensitivities of the ELISA assays were improved with a careful choice of analysis parameters and reagents. The detection limits of 0.1 ng/m(3) for Mus m 1 and 0.8 ng/m(3) for Rat n 1 were established. The sensitized assays enabled detection of mouse and rat aeroallergens also from premises in which animals or dirty cages were not present during sampling.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These sensitive assays will help to perform risk assessment in laboratory animal work. However, there remains a lack of standardized analytic procedures and occupational exposure limits for laboratory animal allergens.
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Sciences, Researech and Development Unit of Environmental Health, University of Kuopio, Bioteknia 2, PO Box 1627, 70211 Kuopio, Finland.
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Korpi
authors.forename: Rauno
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mäntyjärvi
authors.forename: Jaakko
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rautiainen
authors.forename: Eila
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kaliste
authors.forename: Pentti
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kalliokoski
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Renström
authors.forename: Anna-Liisa
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Pasanen
mesh_terms: D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational / Q000032:analysis*; D000485:Allergens / Q000652:urine*; D000818:Animals; D000830:Animals, Laboratory / Q000652:urine; D035843:Biomedical Research; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / Q000379:methods*; D051379:Mice / Q000276:immunology / Q000652:urine; D051381:Rats / Q000276:immunology / Q000652:urine; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational; D000485:Allergens