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House dust mite allergen exposure in infancy
Author(s) -
Ajsa Mahmic,
Tovey Er,
Molloy Ca,
Louise Young
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
clinical and experimental allergy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.462
H-Index - 154
eISSN - 1365-2222
pISSN - 0954-7894
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-2222.1998.00423.x
Subject(s) - aeroallergen , allergen , house dust mite , medicine , mite , zoology , immunology , toxicology , allergy , biology , ecology
Background Infancy may be a critical time for exposure to house dust mite allergens, when exposure to high levels can increase the risk of allergic sensitization and the development of asthma in later life. Objective To measure house dust mite allergen (Der p 1) concentration in the infants' environment and examine lifestyle factors which may influence mite allergen exposure. Methods Infants aged between 4 and 12 months ( n = 134) from the western region of Sydney, Australia, participated. Reservoir dust samples were collected from four sites within each home: infant's bed, second bed (adult or second child's bed), lounge floor and sheepskins (where available). Settling aeroallergen was collected for 10–14 d in Petri dishes in the infant's room. Der p 1 was measured by ELISA. A questionnaire on types of bedding, sleeping and playing patterns of the infant was completed by the parents at the time of dust collection. Results All infants were exposed to at least one site with Der p 1 concentrations greater than 10 μg/g fine dust. The mean settling aeroallergen level in the infants' room was 24 ng Der p 1/m 2 day and this was weakly related to bed allergen levels ( r = 0.21, P < 0.05). Mattress type had a weak effect on Der p 1 levels as measured in the whole bed ( P = 0.07), while bed cover and bed type had no effect ( P > 0.6). The mean product of time spent at a site and its allergen concentration was highest for beds in 69% of infants. Conclusion The high level of allergen exposure in the environment of this group of infants places them at an increased risk of early sensitization and development of asthma. Any strategy to reduce asthma prevalence should address these high and avoidable levels.