Schram-Bijkerk D, Doekes G, Boeve M, Douwes J, Riedler J, Ublagger E, von Mutius E, Benz M, Pershagen G, Wickman M, Alfvén T, Braun-Fahrländer C, Waser M, Brunekreef B
Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences, University of Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Indoor Air. 2006 Dec;16(6):414-25. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-0668.2006.00435.x.
Dust collection by study participants instead of fieldworkers would be a practical and cost-effective alternative in large-scale population studies estimating exposure to indoor allergens and microbial agents. We aimed to compare dust weights and biological agent levels in house dust samples taken by study participants with nylon socks, with those in samples taken by fieldworkers using the sampling nozzle of the Allergology Laboratory Copenhagen (ALK). In homes of 216 children, parents and fieldworkers collected house dust within the same year. Dust samples were analyzed for levels of allergens, endotoxin, (1-->3)-beta-D-glucans and fungal extracellular polysaccharides (EPS). Socks appeared to yield less dust from mattresses at relatively low dust amounts and more dust at high dust amounts than ALK samples. Correlations between the methods ranged from 0.47-0.64 for microbial agents and 0.64-0.87 for mite and pet allergens. Cat allergen levels were two-fold lower and endotoxin levels three-fold higher in socks than in ALK samples. Levels of allergens and microbial agents in sock samples taken by study participants are moderately to highly correlated to levels in ALK samples taken by fieldworkers. Absolute levels may differ, probably because of differences in the method rather than in the person who performed the sampling. Practical Implications Dust collection by participants is a reliable and practical option for allergen and microbial agent exposure assessment. Absolute levels of biological agents are not (always) comparable between studies using different dust collection methods, even when expressed per gram dust, because of potential differences in particle-size constitution of the collected dust.
在大规模人群研究中，由研究参与者而非现场工作人员收集灰尘，对于估计室内过敏原和微生物制剂的暴露情况而言，将是一种切实可行且具有成本效益的替代方法。我们旨在比较研究参与者用尼龙袜采集的房屋灰尘样本与现场工作人员使用哥本哈根变态反应学实验室（ALK）采样喷嘴采集的样本中的灰尘重量和生物制剂水平。在216名儿童的家中，家长和现场工作人员于同一年收集了房屋灰尘。对灰尘样本进行了过敏原、内毒素、（1→3）-β-D-葡聚糖和真菌细胞外多糖（EPS）水平的分析。与ALK样本相比，在灰尘量相对较低时，袜子从床垫上收集到的灰尘似乎较少，而在灰尘量较高时则较多。两种方法之间，微生物制剂的相关性在0.47至0.64之间，螨和宠物过敏原的相关性在0.64至0.87之间。袜子中的猫过敏原水平比ALK样本低两倍，内毒素水平高两倍。研究参与者采集的袜子样本中的过敏原和微生物制剂水平与现场工作人员采集的ALK样本中的水平呈中度至高度相关。绝对水平可能存在差异，这可能是由于采样方法不同而非采样人员不同所致。实际意义 参与者收集灰尘是评估过敏原和微生物制剂暴露的一种可靠且实用的选择。由于所收集灰尘的粒度构成可能存在差异，即使以每克灰尘表示，使用不同灰尘收集方法的研究之间生物制剂的绝对水平也不（总是）具有可比性。
