Kato Y, Katsuno T, Aoki M, Kato M, Tanaka K, Fujii T, Hirose Y, Tabei A, Inoue K, Jing S
Minami Health Center, City of Nagoya.
Nihon Koshu Eisei Zasshi. 1991 Oct;38(10):801-7.
House dust mite (Dermatophagoides farinae) antigen was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in house dust samples obtained from the bed rooms of asthmatic children and normal controls. In 37 rooms where regular vacuum cleaning was performed, the mean of D.f. antigen was 4.42 +/- 7.55 micrograms/m2. In the 24 bed rooms of asthmatic children, mean levels of D.f. antigen decreased significantly (p less than 0.05) after intensive cleaning (systematic cleaning) was continued for 4 weeks (0.78 +/- 0.93 micrograms/m2) compared to prior to initiation of systematic cleaning (4.12 +/- 6.31 micrograms/m2). Symptom scores decreased in 65% of the asthmatic children. In 8 bed rooms of normal controls, mean levels of D.f. antigen also showed a decrease after systematic cleaning (0.43 +/- 0.62 micrograms/m2) compared to before (5.59 +/- 12.46 micrograms/m2). However there was no significant difference in D.f. antigen between the bed rooms of asthmatic children and normal controls. Intensive cleaning markedly decreased the allergen in both groups, clearly suggesting effectiveness in the reduction of asthmatic attacks in patients and perhaps also in preventing sensitization of healthy children.
