Study of the relation between indoor allergenic exposition determined by DEA TEST and sensitization to house dust mites

Abstract

Gran Canaria Island has a subtropical climate, with a temperature average of 18° C and high humidity, over 60%, all the year around. These climatic charasteristics and the defective building structure without isolating measures in most of them, favour the proliferation of house dust mites. The amount of patients sensitized to mites is very high in our area. In this study an inquiry, by questionnaire, about the characteristics of dwelling from 66 outpatients, referred to our clinic for respiratory allergic problems has been performed. We investigated the presence of mites in dust samples of their houses measured by DEA TEST and the relationship with clinical problems. The intensity of clinical symptoms pointed at the questionnaire and the immunological parameters (skin prick test, total IgE and specific IgE) and their relation with the measured amount of exposition has been evaluated. In the 66 dust samples analized, the average amount of Der P I/g of dust was 13.37 μ/g, for Der f I was 1.6 7 μ/g and for Fel d I 4.37 μ/g. In 21 houses the presence of humidity was clear, but we could not find association with some of the results of DEA TEST. The house age and the number of rooms were not related with DEA TEST results. The increase of immunological parameters described before did not show association with higher mites values in DEA TEST. The asthma severity and the number of people living in the house were the only parameters to be associated with a higher mites exposure quantified by DEA TEST.