title: A comparison of subject room dust with home vacuum dust for evaluation of dust-borne aeroallergens.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Assessment of indoor allergen is valuable in exposure research and evaluation of allergic individuals. Collection methods range from grab vacuum samples to filtration devices located in the breathing range of an individual. For practical purposes, many research studies use analysis of collected house dust to evaluate allergen reservoirs.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To test the hypothesis that house dust collected from the family vacuum is equivalent to house dust collected by a technician following standard protocol.
  
  
  METHODS
  Homes from a healthy homes demonstration project (n = 41) were sampled using a specific Department of Housing and Urban Development-suggested protocol in the bedroom of the child with asthma and a simple grab procedure from the family vacuum. Samples were evaluated for the presence of 5 allergens, Bla g2, Can f1, Der f1, and Der p1 combined as total mite, Fel d1, and Mus m1. Samples were also evaluated for total antigenic protein from 4 fungal taxa, including Alternaria, Aspergillus, Cladosporium, and Penicillium.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All of the allergens and antigens tested showed good correlation between the 2 collection methods. Fungal antigens ranged up to 92,651 nanograms per gram of dust for Aspergillus, and allergens ranged up to 17,928 nanograms per gram of dust for Can f1. The best correlation was for Cladosporium (r = 0.91), and the weakest was for dust mite (r = 0.34).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Allergens and antigens tested from samples collected by protocol and by grab sampling from the home vacuum were highly positively correlated. Grab samples taken from the family vacuum may be a good surrogate for evaluating home allergen exposure.
authors.affiliation: Children's Mercy Center for Environmental Health, Children's Mercy Hospitals and Clinics, Kansas City, MO 64108, USA. cbarnes@cmh.edu
authors.forename: Charles
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Barnes
authors.forename: Jay M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Portnoy
authors.forename: Christina E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Ciaccio
authors.forename: Freddy
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pacheco
mesh_terms: D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D016902:Air Pollution, Indoor / Q000032:analysis*; D000485:Allergens / Q000032:analysis*; D039741:Antigens, Dermatophagoides / Q000032:analysis; D060829:Arthropod Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D003546:Cysteine Endopeptidases / Q000032:analysis; D004391:Dust / Q000032:analysis*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D005656:Fungal Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000032:analysis; D006798:Housing
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D000485:Allergens; D039741:Antigens, Dermatophagoides; D060829:Arthropod Proteins; D004391:Dust; D005656:Fungal Proteins; D006023:Glycoproteins; C518791:Mus m 1 allergen, Mus musculus; C091462:allergen Can f I; D003546:Cysteine Endopeptidases; C451159:Dermatophagoides farinae antigen f 1; C451162:Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus antigen p 1; C059296:Fel d 1 protein, Felis domesticus