Prediction of the Level of House Dust Mite Allergen by Residential Characteristics.
Date Issued
2009
Date
2009
Author(s)
Hsu, Ya-hui
Abstract
The prevalence of atopic eczema and asthma in adolescents has been reported to be increasing in the past decades in Taiwan. Exposure to house dust mite (Dermatophagoides pteronissinus) is known to play a potent role in the onset and aggravation of allergic diseases, such as atopic dermatitis and asthma. In Taiwan, high temperature and relative humidity provide favorable conditions for dust mite to grow. It is important to evaluate the level of Der p 1 and environmental predictors, especially the residential characteristics. In addition, previous studies on dust mite allergens in Taiwan were mostly sampled by investigators, we tested the feasibility and comparability of sample collection by adult residents in this study. We studied 46 homes in the 6 cities and counties in Taiwan, included Taipei, Chiayi, Yulin, Tainan, Kaohsung and Taitung. Among these cities, 38 were the participants of the Taiwan Birth Cohort Pilot study, and their residential characteristics were studied during July to September 2007. The other 8 participants were choosed according to a respiratory study during August 2008 in Sinchuan. The information of environmental conditions, structure of house or apartment, pet-owning, habits, and frequency of cleaning were collected by questionnaire. For the comparison of resident- and investigator-collected dust mite samples, the residents sampled the dust from the surface of mattress by vacuum cleaners according to the investigator’s written sampling direction. The investigator also sampled the dust from the floor of the living room and child’s bedroom, mattress, and pillow. The dust mite allergen (Der p 1) was measured using a two-site monoclonal antibody enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Among the 46 homes, the geometric means of Der p 1 were 0.13 μg per gram of dust (μg/g) for the floor of living room, 0.31 μg/g for the floor of children room, 1.70 μg/g for the mattress, and 2.90 μg/g for the pillow. By paired t test, the Der p 1 levels sampled by adult residents was not demonstrated statistically different from those sampled by investigators, moreover, the results sampled by residents and investigators were highly correlated (r=0.75). Higher dust mite levels were associated with having water leakage, dog-owning, observed surface molds, and longer duration after the last cleaning. The usage of air conditioner was negatively associated with level of dust mite This study provides the background levels of dust mite allergen (Der p 1) in Taiwan 6 cities and the residential environmental factors were found to play an important role in mite allergen concentrations. Future study on the effects for reducing mite allergen by environmental modification will be warranted.
Subjects
house dust mite allergen
Der p 1
indoor environment
mattress
Type
thesis
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