title: Sensitization to Asian dust and allergic rhinoconjunctivitis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Asian dust storms frequently occur in northeast Asia and the dust occasionally even spreads as far as North America during spring. Asian dust can be harmful to human health and the environment, and thus has become one of the most serious problems for Asian countries. In the present study, we evaluated sensitization to Asian dust in Japanese patients with rhinoconjunctivitis.
  
  
  METHODS
  In March 2011, a prospective, non-randomized, cross-sectional study was conducted in 10 patients with allergic rhinoconjunctivitis (allergic group), 3 patients with atopic keratoconjunctivitis (atopic group), and 10 age- and sex-matched healthy control subjects (control group). Skin prick tests (SPT) were performed with untreated Asian dust, Asian dust extract, heat-sterilized Asian dust, silicon dioxide (SiO2), and phosphate-buffered saline (PBS). A panel of 14 allergen extracts was also tested, comprising extracts of pollens (cedar, orchard grass, ragweed, and mugwort), house dust (house dust mixture and Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus), animal dander (cat and dog), fungi (Alternaria tenuis, Candida, and Aspergillus), and foods (milk, egg, and wheat). Then the SPT-positive rate and the mean wheal diameter for each allergen were compared among the three groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The SPT-positive rates for untreated Asian dust, Asian dust extract, and sterilized Asian dust were significantly higher in the allergic and atopic groups than in the control group (all p<0.05). In the allergic group, there were a significant differences of the SPT-positive rates for untreated Asian dust (70%), Asian dust extract (50%), sterilized Asian dust (20%), SiO2 (20%), and PBS (0%) (p=0.0068). The SPT response to untreated Asian dust was correlated with the mean wheal diameters for four plant pollens (r=0.71, p=0.0104) and for three fungi (r=0.57, p=0.0426). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that significant predictors of the SPT reaction to untreated Asian dust were the mean wheal diameter for the four plant pollen (odds ratio=2.54, p=0.0138) and that for the three fungi (odds ratio=1.84, p=0.0273).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Asian dust may act as an adjuvant to promote allergic disease induced by inhaled allergens such as pollen and fungi.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Tokyo Women׳s Medical University Medical Center East, 2-1-10 Nishiogu, Arakawa-ku, Tokyo 116-8567, Japan; Department of Ophthalmology, University of Tokyo Graduate School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan. Electronic address: mimurat-tky@umin.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Tatsuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mimura
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Tokyo Women׳s Medical University Medical Center East, 2-1-10 Nishiogu, Arakawa-ku, Tokyo 116-8567, Japan; Department of Ophthalmology, University of Tokyo Graduate School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Satoru
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yamagami
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Tsurumi University School of Dental Medicine, Yokohama, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Fujishima
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Hachioji Medical Center, Tokyo Medical University, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Hidetaka
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Noma
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Tokyo Women׳s Medical University Medical Center East, 2-1-10 Nishiogu, Arakawa-ku, Tokyo 116-8567, Japan.
authors.forename: Yuko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kamei
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Tokyo Women׳s Medical University Medical Center East, 2-1-10 Nishiogu, Arakawa-ku, Tokyo 116-8567, Japan.
authors.forename: Mari
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Goto
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Tokyo Women׳s Medical University Medical Center East, 2-1-10 Nishiogu, Arakawa-ku, Tokyo 116-8567, Japan.
authors.forename: Aki
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kondo
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Tokyo Women׳s Medical University Medical Center East, 2-1-10 Nishiogu, Arakawa-ku, Tokyo 116-8567, Japan.
authors.forename: Masao
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Matsubara
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000818:Animals; D001208:Asia; D002415:Cats; D002648:Child; D003233:Conjunctivitis, Allergic / Q000276:immunology*; D004285:Dogs; D004391:Dust / Q000276:immunology*; D016021:Epidemiologic Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D006255:Rhinitis, Allergic, Seasonal / Q000276:immunology*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D004391:Dust
keywords: Adjuvant effect; Allergic rhinoconjunctivitis; Asian dust; Fungus; Pollen; Skin prick test