The comparative study of house-dust mites (Acariformes: pyroglyphidae) and exposure to mite allergens (Der I, Der II) in apartments of atopic patients

Abstract

Apartments of sensitized to pyroglyphid mites patients were examined in Moscow. Detected in 91% of the apartments, pyroglyphid mites were found to form the nucleus of their fauna. Two species of pyroglyphid mites, D.pteronyssinus and D.farinae, absolutely prevailed. Moreover, in 14% of the apartments the mite E.maynei was detected. Storage mites were detected in 27% of the apartments.

Concentrations of mite allergens were found to vary: 0—12.6 mkg/g of dust for Der p I, 0—13.5 mkg/g of dust for Der p II, 0—3.48 mkg/g of dust for Der f I, 0—7.2 mkg/g of dust for Der f II. Allergens Der p I and Der p II prevailed in 59% of the apartments, and Der f I and Der f II in 27% of the ones. The correlation ratio was 0.9592, p<0.01, for D.pteronyssinus and Der p II it was 0.4132, p<0.1, for D.pteronyssinus and Der p II; r=0.9365, p<0,01, for D.farinae and Der f I and 0.9075, p<0,01, for D.farinae and Der f II.

Among the examined dwellings, in 14% of the apartments, the allergen exposure to D.pteronyssinus (Der p 1, Der p II) exceeded 10 mkg/g of dust. Apartments with that highest level of allergens D.farinae (Der f I, Der f II) were not found. In 50% of the apartments, the concentration of Der I and Der II D.pteronyssinus and D.farinae varied in the range of 2 to 10 mkg/g of dust. In 14% of the apartments, the concentration of mite allergens did not exceed 0.4 mkg/g of dust. In remaining 22% of those, the exposure of mite allergens was higher than 0.4 mkg/g of dust in account to some individual allergens, but did not reach the level of 2 mkg/g of dust.