Prevalence of serum IgE to storage mites in a southwestern Ohio population.
BACKGROUND
Storage mites of the families Chortoglyphidae, Glycyphagidae, Echimyopodidae, and Acaridae are commonly found in agricultural and nonagricultural environments. The prevalence of sensitization to these storage mites in the general population in the United States is unknown.


OBJECTIVE
To determine the prevalence of serum IgE to the storage mites Lepidoglyphus destructor and Acarus siro and to evaluate the degree of co-sensitization to various other astigmatid mites in a population in southwestern Ohio.


METHODS
Serum samples from 600 people randomly selected from a 1-day submission of approximately 3,000 samples to a clinical diagnostic laboratory were screened for IgE to allergens of L destructor and A siro. Proteins in the extracts of each mite were electrophoretically separated, transferred to membranes, and incubated in the serum samples, and the slot blots were probed for IgE binding using radiolabeled anti-human IgE and autoradiography.


RESULTS
Thirty-two (5.3%) of the 600 serum samples screened had IgE to allergens from at least 1 of the 2 mite species; 14 (2.3%) and 20 (3.3%) had serum IgE to proteins of the mites A siro and L destructor, respectively. Additional analysis revealed that most serum samples also had IgE that bound to proteins in extracts prepared from a variety of other astigmatid mite species, but IgE binding profiles suggested little cross-reactivity.


CONCLUSIONS
Sensitization to the mites L destructor and A siro is significant in this region of southwestern Ohio. Further studies are needed to determine the importance of these and other storage mites in occupationally exposed and urban populations of the United States.
Department of Biological Sciences, Wright State University, Dayton, Ohio 45435-0001, USA.
Anitha
A
Yadav
B Laurel
BL
Elder
Marjorie S
MS
Morgan
DiAnn L
DL
Vyszenski-Moher
Larry G
LG
Arlian
D040041:Acaridae / Q000276:immunology*; D000485:Allergens / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D003429:Cross Reactions; D006801:Humans; D006967:Hypersensitivity / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology*; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D019476:Insect Proteins / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D008403:Mass Screening; D009820:Ohio / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence
D000485:Allergens; D019476:Insect Proteins; D007073:Immunoglobulin E