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Relationship between exposure to dust mite allergen and bronchial response to exercise in schoolchildren sensitized to dust mites
Author(s) -
Frischer T. H.,
Kuehr J.,
Meinert R.,
Karmaus W.,
Urbanek R.
Publication year - 1993
Publication title -
pediatric pulmonology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.866
H-Index - 106
eISSN - 1099-0496
pISSN - 8755-6863
DOI - 10.1002/ppul.1950160104
Subject(s) - medicine , mite , allergen , dust mites , asthma , immunology , house dust mite , pyroglyphidae , allergy , biology , botany
We assessed the relationship between the exposure to dust mite allergens and a bronchial response to exercise in 8‐year‐old schoolchildren. Dust was collected from the mattresses of 1, 291 children and the concentration of mite allergens was estimated by a commercially available ELISA test using monoclonal antibodies (ALK, Copenhagen) against the major allergens of Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (Der pt) and Dermatophagoides farinae (Der f). A positive bronchial response to exercise (decrease of peak expiratory flow ≥ 5% after exercise) occurred in 21 (22.6%) of 101 children sensitized to mite allergens (wheal size ≥4 mm) and in 51 (4.8%) of 1, 070 nonsensitized children. In the highest exposure groups (>10 μg allergen/g dust), 15% of children sensitized to Der f and 20% of children sensitized to Der pt were responsive to exercise. Corresponding figures for the lowest exposure groups (< 0.4 μg allergen/g dust) were 11 and 28%, respectively. This negative finding may indicate that measurement of allergen concentration in mattresses does not reflect true exposure or alternatively that at the age of 8 years high exposure to dust mite allergens does not affect bronchial response to exercise in sensitized children. Pediatr Pulmonol. 1993; 16:13–18. © Wiley‐Liss, Inc.