PRODUCT:
Allersearch AllerMold™
RESEARCH: Indoor exposure to molds and allergic sensitization
Evidence
that indoor dampness and mold growth are associated with
respiratory health has been accumulating, but few studies
have been able to examine health risks in relation to measured
levels of indoor mold exposure… We examined whether allergic
sensitization in children is associated with higher fungal
spore count in settled house dust sampled from living room
floors. Adjusting for age, sex, parental education, region
of residency, and parental history of atopy, we found that
mold spore counts for Cladosporium and Aspergillus were
associated with an increased risk of allergic sensitization.
Sensitized children exposed to high levels of mold spores
(> 90th percentile) were more likely to suffer from
symptoms of rhinoconjunctivitis. We conclude that elevated
indoor concentrations of molds in wintertime might play
a role in increasing the risk of developing atopic symptoms
and allergic sensitization not only to molds but
also to other common, inhaled allergens. These effects
were strongest in the group of children who had lived in
the same home since birth.
Environ
Health Perspect 110:647-653
(2002)
PRODUCT:
Allersearch ADS™ and
X-Mite
RESEARCH: Chemical treatment of carpets to reduce allergen: A detailed
study of the effects of tannic acid on indoor allergens
Tannic
acid (TA), a protein-denaturing agent, has been reported to
reduce allergen levels in house dust and is marketed for that
purpose as 1% and 3% solutions. We
investigated the effects of TA on dust allergens by using monoclonal
antibody-based ELISAs for mite (Der
p I, Der f I,
and group II) and cat (Fel
d I) allergens. Initial studies confirmed that TA
reduced allergen levels in carpet dust... In the laboratory,
concentrations of TA as low as 0.1% inhibited the assays, but
this effect may be prevented by addition of 5% bovine serum
albumin (BSA). After treatment of dust samples in the laboratory
with 3% TA, the apparent reductions in Der
p I and Der
f I levels were 89% and 96%, respectively… Our testing
of the ability of TA to denature Fel
d I demonstrated an 80% reduction in allergen… The
results confirmed the profound denaturing effects of TA.
(J ALLERGY CLIN IMMUNOL 1994;94:19-26.)
PRODUCT:
Allersearch ADS™,
X-Mite, and ADMS™
RESEARCH: Cat
antigen in homes with and without cats may induce allergic symptoms
Although
Fel d 1, the major cat allergen, has been found in settled
dust samples from homes both with and without cats, the clinical
relevance of this allergen has never been studied. In this
study we measured airborne concentrations of Fel d 1 in homes
both with and without cats and then attempted to relate these
levels to those obtained in our experimental cat challenge
model to assess their clinical significance. In baseline
samples we found measurable levels of airborne Fel d 1 in
all 37 homes with cats (range, 1.8 to 578 ng/m3;
median, 45.9 ng/m3) and in 10 of the 40 homes
without cats (for detectable samples: range, 2.8 to 88.5
ng/m3; median, 17 ng/m3). Fel
d 1 was present in the settled dust of 38 of 40 homes without
cats (range, 39 to 3750 ng/gm; median, 258 ng/gm), although
these levels were only weakly predictive of airborne levels. Repeat
samples obtained weekly from 12 homes without cats yielded
measurable airborne Fel d 1 in at least one of the four samples
from all homes. When compared with challenges performed
in our cat room facility at low levels of airborne Fel d
1 (<500 ng/m3), these home levels are within
the range capable of causing upper and lower respiratory
symptoms in subjects allergic to cats. We
therefore conclude that the low level cat exposure that occurs
in many homes without cats is capable of inducing symptoms
in some patients who are sensitive to cats. The assessment
of cat exposure should not be based solely on the presence
or absence of a cat in the home.
(J ALLERGY CLIN IMMUNOL 1996;97:907-14.)
PRODUCT: Allersearch
Allergen Wash™
RESEARCH:
Domestic control of house dust mite allergen in children’s beds
Background:
House
dust mite allergen levels in humid coastal regions of Australia
are high, particularly in beds. Because high allergen levels
in beds are associated with more severe asthma, reduction of
levels may be important for asthma control.
Objective:
We
tested the effectiveness of an acaricidal treatment of bedding
in combination with occlusive mattress and pillow encasings in
reducing allergen levels in children’s beds in a community setting.
Methods:
A
total of 14 beds of children were selected for the active intervention.
In each home the bed of a sibling of nearest age was selected
as the control. Dust was vacuumed from beds by using a standard
protocol, and Der p 1 levels were measured by using ELISA. Adjacent
settling dust was collected by using opened Petri dishes. The
intervention consisted of encasing mattresses and pillows in
occlusive covers and washing all bedding with Acaril, an acaricidal
additive. The acaricidal wash was repeated twice in 7
households at 2-month intervals. Control beds were not treated.
Results:
The
mean Der p 1 concentration at baseline was 27.9 µg/g in the active
beds and 18.1 µg/g in the control beds. At 4 days after intervention,
Der p 1 decreased to 3.2 µg/g and 15.7 µg/g in active and control
beds, respectively. The average
difference (active minus control) over the first 8-week cycle
was 78.5% (P <
.0001), and the difference over 3 washing cycles was 125.1% (P < .05). The
mean rate of settling Der p 1 adjacent to the actively treated
beds decreased from 24.4 ng·m–2·d–1 at baseline
to 10.0 ng·m–2·d–1 after intervention (P <
.01).
Conclusion:
A
substantial reduction in Der p 1 levels in beds and in airborne
dust in a humid region with naturally high house dust mite allergen
levels can be achieved and sustained in a community setting with
use of occlusive covers and a rigorous washing routine.
(J
Allergy Clin Immunol 2000;105: 1130-3.)
PRODUCT: Allersearch
Allergen Wash™
RESEARCH: Exposure
to mite and cat allergens on a range of clothing items at home
and the transfer of cat allergen in the workplace
Background:
Clothing
has been proposed as an additional source of exposure to mite
and cat allergens. Dispersal of allergen into public places has
also been attributed to clothing.
Objectives:
We
sought to study the contribution of various types of clothing
on mite and cat exposure in a domestic environment. Also, we
studied the ability of clothing to transfer allergen in a workplace.
Methods:
Personal
exposure to mite and cat allergen from a range of clothing was
measured by using intranasal air samplers in 11 homes. Five categories
of clothing were tested. Wearing no upper clothing was the sixth
category tested to distinguish the contribution of clothing over
ambient background exposure. An adhesive tape was used to sample
allergen from the surface of clothing, and reservoir dust samples
were also collected. The above techniques were also used in the
workplace to examine the amount of cat allergen transferred from
cat owners to non-cat owners.
Results:
The
amount of mite and cat allergen inhaled differed among the clothing
types worn and whether they had been washed recently. Wearing
a woolen sweater increased personal allergen exposure to cat
and mite allergen by a mean of 11 and 10 times, respectively.
Clothing items that were less frequently washed carried more
allergen whether assessed by vacuuming or sampled with adhesive
tape. This corresponded to the amount of allergen inhaled. We
also found that cat levels on non-cat owners’ clothing increased
significantly at the end of a working day, which lead to the
increase in their personal allergen exposure to cat.
Conclusions:
These
studies strongly support the emerging model that personal clothing
is an important source of both mite and cat allergen exposure.
This article also demonstrates the importance of clothing as
a means of distributing cat allergen into cat-free environments.
(J Allergy Clin Immunol 2000;106:874-9.)
PRODUCT: Allersearch
Pet +™
RESEARCH: Evaluation
of different techniques for washing cats: Quantitation of allergen
removed from the cat and the effect on airborne Fel d 1
Background
and Objective:
The
purpose of this study was to examine the quantity and distribution
of the major cat allergen, Fel d 1, on cats and to evaluate
the efficacy of washing, both in removing allergen from the
cat and reducing airborne allergen levels.
Methods:
Airborne
samples were collected on four glass fiber filters in a 30 m3 room,
before and 3 hours after serial washing of eight cats (45-minute
sampling at 18 L/min for each filter). Aliquots of hair and bath
water were also collected and assayed for Fel d 1 content.
Results:
Extracting
cat hair with tap water or pet shampoo for 3 minutes removed
mean levels of 191 and 245 µg of Fel d 1 per gram of hair, respectively;
the quantity of allergen on samples of cat hair ranged from 1 µg/gm
to more than 1770
µg/gm. The highest concentration of allergen was found on hair
from the neck. Estimates of the total Fel d 1 on the cat, based
on shaving the whole cat, ranged from 3 to 142 mg (mean =
67 mg). Washing cats reduced airborne
allergen 3 hours later. Washing three cats at weekly intervals
for 5 weeks in a veterinarian's office produced a mean decrease
of 44% in airborne Fel d 1 (n =
15, p < 0.02).
Washing three cats by immersion for 3 minutes at weekly intervals
for a 1-month period produced a mean
decrease in airborne allergen of 79% (n =
12, p < 0.001)…
Conclusion:
Cats
carry large quantities of Fel d 1, only a small proportion of
which (~0.002%/hr) becomes airborne. Washing
cats by immersion will remove significant allergen from the cat
and can reduce the quantity of Fel d 1 becoming airborne.
(J Allergy Clin Immunol 1997;100:307-12.)
PRODUCT: Allersearch
AllerDust™
RESEARCH:
Airborne dust and allergen generation during dusting with and without
spray polish
Background:
Dusting
is a commonly used method for dust removal from surfaces in the
home. However, the process of dusting may contribute to airborne
dust levels by disturbing dust particles from a surface and failing
to remove it from the indoor environment.
Objective:
We
sought to measure the quantity of allergen-laden dust disturbed
into the air during dusting and discover whether applying spray
polish to either the dusty surface or the cleaning cloth reduced
this amount.
Methods:
A
common furniture polish was tested for its ability to prevent
dust particles and major house dust mite (Der p 1) or major cat
(Fel d 1) allergen from becoming airborne during dusting. Tests
were completed with a repeatable mechanized dusting procedure
with polish sprayed onto either a cleaning cloth or directly
onto a surface, and this was compared with a control procedure
with a standard duster. Airborne dust was measured with an air-particle
counter and by means of anti-Der p 1 or anti-Fel d 1 ELISA.
Results:
Considerable
quantities of dust became airborne during dusting. When polish
was sprayed onto the cleaning cloth, the concentration of airborne
dust particles was reduced by a mean of 83.4%, house dust mite
allergen by 50.3%, and cat allergen by 57.4% when compared with
dry-cloth controls…. All reductions were significant when compared
with dry-cloth controls (P < .01,
Mann-Whitney U test).
Conclusions:
This
study showed that application
of a polish spray to … the cloth during dusting greatly reduced
dust and allergen evolution into the air, which should reduce
exposure to airborne allergens in the home.
(J
Allergy Clin Immunol 2002;109:63-7.)
RESEARCH:
Methods and effectiveness of environmental control
In recent years the role of allergen exposure and atopy, and the
interaction between them in the clinical expression of allergic disease,
has been examined in a quantitative manner in epidemiologic studies. Such
analyses suggest that avoidance of exposure to domestic allergens
is a critical element in integrated strategies for both the prevention
and the management of asthma. The promise of primary intervention
in high-risk infants, as shown in the Isle of White study, has been
confirmed in a recent study in Japan, and at least 4 similar trials
are in progress… Recent studies with patients moved to high altitudes
during seasonal reductions in mite exposure and randomized controlled
interventions in houses have all shown improvements in clinical manifestations
of asthma. These recent trials have also demonstrated something that
was less certain—that massive reductions
in domestic allergen exposure can be achieved and that people will
adopt the significant changes to their domestic environment and lifestyles
if the risks and benefits are known.
(J Allergy Clin Immunol 1999;103:179-91.)
RESEARCH: The
role of intervention in established allergy: Avoidance of indoor
allergens in the treatment of chronic allergic disease
Avoidance
of exposure to indoor allergens is an important element in the treatment
of allergic disease. The results
of several studies provide strong evidence in support of a role for
allergen avoidance… The greatest challenge is to educate allergic
patients so that they can play an important role in controlling their
own disease.
(J Allergy Clin Immunol 2000;106:787-804.)
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