Institute for Prevention and Occupational Medicine of the German Social Accident Insurance, Institute of the Ruhr University Bochum-IPA, Bochum, Germany.
PLoS One. 2012;7(12):e52981. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0052981. Epub 2012 Dec 21.
Allergens produced by domestic mites (DM) are among the most common allergic sensitizers and risk factors for asthma. To compare exposure levels between workplaces and living areas a new assay able to measure airborne DM antigen concentrations was developed.
At workplaces and in living areas, 213 floor dust samples and 92 personal inhalable dust samples were collected. For sensitive quantification of DM antigens, a new enzyme immunoassay (EIA) based on polyclonal antibodies to Dermatophagoides farinae extract was developed. Reactivity of five house dust mite and four storage mite species was tested. All dust samples were tested with the new EIA and with the Der f 1 and Der p 1-EIAs (Indoor Biotechnologies, UK) which detect major allergens from D. farinae and D. pteronyssinus by monoclonal antibodies. Samples below the detection limit in the DM-EIA were retested in an assay variant with a fluorogenic substrate (DM-FEIA).
The newly developed DM-EIA detects antigens from all nine tested domestic mite species. It has a lower detection limit of 200 pg/ml of D.farinae protein, compared to 50 pg/ml for the DM-FEIA. DM antigens were detected by DM-EIA/FEIA in all floor dust and 80 (87%) of airborne samples. Der f 1 was found in 133 (62%) floor dust and in only 6 airborne samples, Der p 1 was found in 70 (33%) of floor samples and in one airborne sample. Der f 1 and DM concentrations were highly correlated. DM-antigens were significantly higher in inhalable airborne samples from textile recycling, bed feather filling, feed production, grain storage and cattle stables in comparison to living areas.
A new sensitive EIA directed at DM antigens was developed. DM antigen quantities were well correlated to Der f 1 values and were measurable in the majority (87%) of airborne dust samples. Some workplaces had significantly higher DM antigen concentrations than living areas.
室内尘螨（DM）产生的过敏原是最常见的过敏致敏原之一，也是哮喘的危险因素。为了比较工作场所和生活区域的暴露水平，开发了一种能够测量空气中 DM 抗原浓度的新测定法。
在工作场所和生活区域采集了 213 个地板灰尘样本和 92 个个人可吸入灰尘样本。为了对 DM 抗原进行灵敏定量，开发了一种基于多克隆抗体制备的针对屋尘螨提取物的新酶联免疫吸附试验（EIA）。测试了五种屋尘螨和四种贮藏螨的反应性。使用新的 EIA 以及 Der f 1 和 Der p 1-EIA（英国室内生物技术公司）对所有灰尘样本进行了测试，后者通过单克隆抗体检测来自屋尘螨和屋尘螨的主要过敏原。在 DM-EIA 检测限以下的样本在使用荧光底物的检测方法（DM-FEIA）中进行了重新测试。
新开发的 DM-EIA 可检测所有九种测试的室内螨种的抗原。与 DM-FEIA 的 50pg/ml 相比，它的检测下限为 200pg/ml 的屋尘螨蛋白。在所有地板灰尘和 80（87%）个空气样本中都检测到了 DM 抗原。在 133 个（62%）地板灰尘样本和仅 6 个空气样本中发现了 Der f 1，在 70 个（33%）地板样本和 1 个空气样本中发现了 Der p 1。Der f 1 和 DM 浓度高度相关。与生活区域相比，在纺织回收、羽绒填充、饲料生产、粮食储存和牛棚等工作场所的可吸入空气尘埃样本中，DM 抗原的含量明显更高。
开发了一种针对 DM 抗原的新敏感 EIA。DM 抗原数量与 Der f 1 值密切相关，可在大多数（87%）空气尘埃样本中测量到。一些工作场所的 DM 抗原浓度明显高于生活区域。
