Study on major mite allergens in Italian homes

Summary There has always been a great interest for allergologists in the relation between the exsposure to allergic pollens a/o perennials and allergic symptomatology. Indeed the allergologist is constantly looking for clear evidence to what is shown or suggested by clinical history and routine allergologic tests.At present the availability of reliable quantitative analytical methods has given us the possibility of making a study on the presence of house mite and cat allergens in Italian homes.The study involved 5 Italian towns and was carried out in autumn months and the collection of samples has been made with a simple retail electric vacuum cleaner. The dosage of the allergenic content of the dust has been carried out by an immunoassay using specific monoclonal antibodies and a mixture of allergic patients' sera and a monoclonal anti IgE antibody coupled with an enzyme. The results suggest a wide variability of the allergenic content of the samples coming from the same geographical area but a constant ratio between the major mite allergens (Der I/Der II) ranging around a value 21.The prevalence of one mite species over another is variable, and depends on the geographical locality.