Comparative detection of mite allergens in house dust of homes in Moscow by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and acarologic analysis.

The present study revealed that 73% of surveyed apartments in Moscow whose residents included children with the atopic form of bronchial asthma and sensitization to Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus allergens were infested with the pyroglyphid mites D. pteronyssinus and D. farinae. The number of mites in the surveyed apartments varied between 0 and 154 mites/g of dust for D. pteronyssinus and between 0 and 162 mites/g of dust for D. farinae. The levels of mite allergens in these apartments ranged from 0.5 to 165.8 micrograms/g for Der p I and from 0.3 to 91.3 micrograms/g of dust for Der f I. The Der p I allergen was found to predominate, and its concentration in one-third of the apartments was more than 10-fold greater than that of Der f I. Correlation between the number of pyroglyphid mites and the concentration of group I allergens was established for both D. pteronyssinus (r = 0.4932; P < 0.01) and D. farinae (r = 0.6748; P < 0.01). In most of the apartments, high and moderate levels of Der I allergens were detected.