title: Protozoal forms in house-dust mites and respiratory allergy.
abstract: The presence of mites in sputum smears has been described with possible implications through direct action of dust mites inside the lungs and of the possibility of them being a causal factor in asthma. Because of the impact and frequency of allergic respiratory diseases associated with exposure to dust mites, we examine extracts of the intestinal content of dust mites to find a special factor to link the allergic respiratory diseases and the dust mites. We examined 600 slides of household dust with an average of 5 (3-8 mites) mites being observed on each, approximately 3000 mites in all. Among the remains of intestinal contents of the mites, the presence was observed of various protozoal forms with filiform projections. These forms were very similar in morphology to those previously observed by us, under the same conditions of phase contrast, in the sputa of asthmatic patients and the nasal extrusions of patients with allergic rhinosinusitis. The discovery of these protozoal forms may be the nexus necessary to connect these diseases with the arthropods mentioned.
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Anatomía Patológica, Hospital Universitario Central de Asturias, Celestino Villamil s/n, 33006 Oviedo, Spain.
authors.forename: Andrés
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ribas
authors.forename: Rafael
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Martínez-Girón
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D056890:Eukaryota; D006798:Housing; D006801:Humans; D039981:Pyroglyphidae / Q000382:microbiology*; D012130:Respiratory Hypersensitivity / Q000382:microbiology*; D013183:Sputum / Q000382:microbiology*