Mite fauna, Der p I, Der f I and Blomia tropicalis allergen levels in a tropical environment

Abstract

Fifty dust samples were collected from the mattresses and bedroom floors of 25 subjects with allergic asthma in Cartagena, Colombia, in order to identify house dust mites and quantitate Der p I, Der f I and Blomia tropicalis allergens. The geometric mean of the total mite density per gram of dust was 418 (range, 40-2280). Twenty-two samples (44%) had more than 500 mites and four, less than 100. B. tropicalis and Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus were found in 96% and 90% of the samples, accounting for 40.1% and 35.7% of the total mites, respectively. Cheyletus malaccensis, Chortoglyphus arcuatus, Pyroglyphus africanus, Oribatids, Grallacheles bakeri, Tarsonemus spp., Suidasia spp., Dermatophagoides farinae and unidentified mites accounted for the rest. The geometric mean of the total mites/gram of dust in mattresses (563.9) was significantly higher than in floor dust (309.1), P < 0.01. Allergen concentrations and mite numbers were analysed by Spearman rank correlations: B. tropicalis mites vs B. tropicalis allergen, r = 0.54, P < 0.001; D. pteronyssinus mites vs Der p I, r = 0.52, P < 0.001. A negative correlation was obtained between B. tropicalis mites and Der p I. Allergens derived from B. tropicalis and other domestic mite species may play an important role in sensitization and allergic symptoms in Cartagena, Colombia.

Allergic Rhinitis and its Impact on Asthma (ARIA) 2008*

“…It is therefore important that doctors determine the allergens of their region. (306,(309)(310)(311)(312)(313)(314). Most mite allergens are associated with enzymatic activities (315) which were shown to have direct nonspecific action on the respiratory epithelium (316,317), some of which may potentiate a Th2 cell response (318).…”

Intranasal sensitization with Blomia Tropicalis antigens induces allergic responses in mice characterized by elevated antigen-specific and non-specific serum ige and peripheral blood eosinophil counts

“…The mite has been ubiquitously found in common houses in tropical and subtropical areas 1,2,7,10,21,23 . Although there have been a few reports indicating the scarce distribution of the genus Blomia in mainland of Japan 18,20 , the authors and other investigators have recently reported that B. tropicalis is one of the major mite species found in Okinawa, a subtropical prefecture of Japan 14,26,27 .…”

House dust mite fauna in western Anatolia, Turkey

“…44, No. 3: 259-264, September 2006 (Fernández-Caldas et al, 1993;Rose et al, 1996). D. pteronyssinus predominantly occurs in areas where the relative humidity in air is high (> 73%) and D. farinae is dominant in areas where the atmosphere is relatively dry (Ree et al, 1997).…”