Mites in Madrid.
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Air Pollution, Indoor↗
Biomedical subjects
E Fernandez-Caldas
Publications and source records attributed to E Fernandez-Caldas.
Allergenic cross-reactivity between nickel and chromium salts in electroplating-induced asthma.
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Adult↗
Occupational rhinitis caused by beech wood dust.
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Dust↗
Allergenic differences between the domestic mites Blomia tropicalis and Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus.
BACKGROUND: House dust mite allergens are the most important indoor allergens associated with asthma and rhinitis in Singapore and the tropics. Recent data to suggest that besides the Dermatophagoides spp., the domestic mite Blomia tropicalis (Bt) is also an important source of allergens in these regions. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the degree of allergenic cross-reactivity between Bt and D. pteronyssinus (Dp). METHODS: Cross-reactivity between extracts of Bt and Dp was evaluated by fluorescent allergosorbent (FAST) inhibition studies and cross enzyme immunoelectrophoresis. Additionally, the major Dp allergens - Der p 1, Der p 2 and Der p 5, were also compared with the Bt extract by dot blot inhibition. Skin prick and intradermal end-point titration were then carried out to compare the homologous allergens of the mite species, Blo t 5 and Der p 5. RESULTS: FAST inhibition studies showed low to moderate cross-reactivity between the two dust mite extracts (maximum cross-inhibition, 60%). Native allergens studied by cross enzyme immunoelectrophoresis using mite allergic sera also showed similar results but with at least four cross-reactive IgE binding antigens. Dot blot inhibition studies using allergens of Dp, Der p 1, Der p 2, and Der p 5, showed little cross-reactivity between these allergens with components of the crude Bt extracts. Further, evaluation of a recombinant allergen of Bt, Blo t 5, showed low levels of cross-reactivity even with its homologous Dp counterpart, Der p 5. CONCLUSION: These results provide evidence that Bt allergens are distinct and have relatively low to moderate cross-reactivity with Dermatophagoides spp. allergens. Bt allergens should therefore be included in the diagnostic panel for the evaluation of allergic disorders in the tropics, and the development of new diagnostic and therapeutic strategies should include allergens of Bt.
Allergens↗
Characterization of the allergens of the house dust mite Euroglyphus maynei.
BACKGROUND: The house dust mite Euroglyphus maynei inhabits homes in many parts of the world and is the source of many allergens. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to biochemically and immunologically characterize the major allergens of E. maynei. METHODS: Proteins in an extract of E. maynei were separated into 20 fractions by using preparative isoelectric focusing. Most proteins and allergens were contained in fractions 7 to 17 with pH of 4.8 to 8.0. The fractions were further characterized by nonreducing sodium dodecylsulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and immunoblotting with the serum of 16 individuals sensitive to E. maynei. RESULTS: Molecular weights and isoelectric points were assigned to 47 IgE-binding proteins in an E. maynei extract, and the frequency of IgE binding to each allergen was determined. Twenty-two of the allergens were recognized by more than 50% of the 16 sera, and all but one of the subjects had IgE that bound to more than 10 allergens (range, 0 to 32). One of the proteins was identified as the allergen Eur m 2. CONCLUSION: E. maynei is the source of at least 47 individual allergens that have been characterized by molecular weight, isoelectric point, and IgE-binding properties.
Allergens↗
Mite-contaminated foods as a cause of anaphylaxis.
BACKGROUND: Although insect and arthropod contamination of certain foods has been recognized for many years, allergic manifestations caused by ingestion of mite allergens have only rarely been reported. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to present clinical observations in patients who experienced acute anaphylaxis after eating mite-contaminated foods. METHODS: Thirty atopic subjects who were first seen with systemic anaphylaxis precipitated by the ingestion of wheat-containing foods underwent skin prick tests with inhalant and food extracts, as well as with uncontaminated and mite-contaminated wheat flour. Flour samples were examined microscopically for identification and counting of mites. Der p 1 and Der f 1 levels were quantitated by using immunochemical methods. RESULTS: The most common symptoms were breathlessness, angioedema, wheezing, and rhinorrhea, which started between 10 and 240 minutes after eating. Abundant mites were present in the flour obtained from 28 patients; Suidasia spp. mites were found in grated bread from the other two patients. Positive prick test responses to Dermatophagoides farinae-and mite-contaminated flour and negative skin test responses to wheat extract, other food extracts, and uncontaminated wheat flour were found in all patients. Skin test responses were positive in volunteers with mite allergy even after heating the mite-contaminated flour at 100 degrees C. Screening of 35 unselected flour samples demonstrated the presence of mites in 13 of them (37.1%). CONCLUSIONS: Systemic anaphylaxis can occur after the ingestion of heated or unheated mite-contaminated foods. This problem may be more prevalent in tropical and subtropical countries than previously recognized.
Adolescent↗
Sensitization to Blomia tropicalis in patients with asthma and identification of allergen Blo t 5.
In tropical and subtropical regions of the world, allergens produced by Blomia tropicalis are an important cause of IgE-mediated sensitization among patients with asthma. We compared the relative importance of sensitization to the two mite species among asthma patients from Florida, Puerto Rico, and Brazil (n = 83), who were concurrently exposed to B. tropicalis and D. pteronyssinus, with patients from the United States and from the United Kingdom (n = 56) exposed to D. pteronyssinus. In addition, molecular cloning techniques were used to clone and express a major B. tropicalis allergen. There were significant differences between IgE antibody responses to B. tropicalis and D. pteronyssinus that were related to exposure: only 22% of patients exposed to both species had a high ratio (> 10) of IgE D. pteronyssinus:B. tropicalis, whereas 68% of patients exposed only to D. pteronyssinus had a ratio of > 10 (p < 0.001). A major 14-kD allergen (Blo t 5), cloned from a B. tropicalis cDNA library, showed 43% sequence homology to D. pteronyssinus Der p 5. Recombinant Blo t 5 produced in E. coli reacted with 45 to 69% of sera from B. tropicalis-allergic asthmatics and induced positive immediate skin tests at 10(-3) to 1 microg/ml. In vivo and in vitro comparisons of IgE responses to B. tropicalis, D. pteronyssinus, rBlo t 5, and rDer p 5, showed that B. tropicalis has unique allergens that cause specific IgE responses. The results suggest that B. tropicalis is an independent cause of sensitization and that use of recombinant Blo t 5 should lead to a better understanding of the role of B. tropicalis in causing asthma in tropical environments.
Adolescent↗
A new triad: sensitivity to aspirin, allergic rhinitis, and severe allergic reaction to ingested aeroallergens.
Increasing attention has recently been paid to a group of patients who experience anaphylaxis after ingestion of foods prepared with mite-contaminated wheat flour. We present three cases of this syndrome, which occurs more often in young adults with allergic rhinitis and/or asthma. We have observed an increased frequency of sensitivity to aspirin and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), manifested as urticaria or angioedema, in patients with this condition.
Adolescent↗
Use of recombinant group 5 allergens to investigate IgE-mediated sensitization to Blomia tropicalis and Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus.
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Allergens↗
Serum total and specific IgE levels in children infected with human immunodeficiency virus.
BACKGROUND: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is associated with polyclonal B-cell activation, and elevated IgE levels are found in infected adults. Chronic nasal symptoms, sinusitis, and otitis media are particularly common in children infected with HIV. The possible allergic cause of nasal symptoms in children infected with HIV has not been explored. OBJECTIVE: The study was designed to evaluate the relationship between HIV infection and IgE levels in a group of children infected with HIV. METHODS: Total serum IgE was measured by enzyme immunoassay and compared with values for age-matched normal subjects. Specific IgE was determined by RAST test to Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus, American cockroach, Bahia grass, short ragweed, cat, and oak. Lymphocyte subpopulations were determined by standard flow cytometry. RESULTS: Fifty-seven total IgE and 342 specific IgE levels were determined from 29 infected children (19 girls and 10 boys; ages, 7 to 150 months; mean age, 49 months). Initial IgE levels of 29 subjects ranged from 1.4 to 787.6 IU/ml (mean = 123.4 +/- 34.4 IU/ml). Nine of 29 (31%) subjects had initial IgE levels greater than two standard deviations higher than age-matched normal subjects. No patients had detectable specific IgE to any of the six aeroallergens. There was no correlation, as determined by linear regression analysis, between IgE levels and absolute CD4 number or CD4:CD8. CONCLUSION: Elevated total but not specific IgE is common in children infected with HIV and does not correlated with absolute CD4 lymphocyte count, suggesting that the elevated IgE level reflects a somewhat independent polyclonal activation of B-lymphocytes.
Adolescent↗
Cross-allergenicity of the house dust mites Euroglyphus maynei and Blomia tropicalis.
BACKGROUND: The domestic mites Euroglyphus maynei and Blomia tropicalis frequently co-inhabit homes in subtropical/tropical regions around the world. Both species are the source of substances that cause allergic reactions in patients. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to examine the immunologic cross-reactivity between E. maynei and B. tropicalis. METHODS: Sera of 19 mite-sensitive patients who were skin test positive to B. tropicalis and/or RAST positive to E. maynei were used to probe immunoblots or crossed radioimmunoelectrophoresis (CRIE) gels. RESULTS: Western blotting showed that individual sera had IgE that bound to 0 to 17 and 2 to 15 proteins in E. maynei and B. tropicalis extracts, respectively. Corresponding IgE-binding proteins of 105, 75, 57, 18, and 14 kD were detected in both E. maynei and B. tropicalis extracts. The majority of IgE-binding proteins did not show corresponding bands in both extracts. Heterologous CRIE showed IgE binding to six of the nine E. maynei antigens precipitated by anti-B. tropicalis serum with individual sera recognizing 0 to 4 of the six allergens. In the reciprocal reaction, 10 of the 12 proteins of B. tropicalis that were precipitated by anti-E. maynei serum bound IgE with individual sera binding to 0 to 5 proteins. CONCLUSION: This study indicated that E. maynei and B. tropicalis are the source of both species-specific and cross-reactive allergens, but most allergens in each extract were species-specific.
Adult↗
Environmental control in childhood asthma.
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Allergens↗
Prevalence of house dust mites in the Rocky Mountain states.
BACKGROUND: Due to low rainfall and high elevation the ten Rocky Mountain states would not be expected to have the indoor humidity required to support the growth of significant numbers of house dust mites. Nevertheless, a recent survey reported that house dust mite allergen levels were not significantly different in the various regions of the United States, including the arid and mountainous regions. METHODS: Each summer for 5 years (1988-92) patients with bronchial asthma scheduled to be evaluated at the National Jewish Center for Immunology and Respiratory Medicine were invited to submit a dust sample from their mattress or bedroom carpet for mite analysis. RESULTS: Fifty-eight patients from the ten Rocky Mountain states submitted dust specimens. Forty-eight contained no mites, five had levels of mites considered clinically insignificant (less than 100 mites/g dust), three contained 100 mites/g of dust, a level at the threshold of significance, and two had high levels of mites (1,000 and 3,000 mites/g). Both of the homes with high mite levels had specific sources of excess moisture. Twenty-eight patients from adjacent states also submitted dust specimens. Significant levels of mites were encountered in specimens from these states reflecting the transition to zones of greater humidity and lower elevation. CONCLUSION: Except in homes with unusual sources of humidity, significant levels of house dust mites are rarely encountered in homes in the ten Rocky Mountain states.
Allergens↗
English plantain and psyllium: lack of cross-allergenicity by crossed immunoelectrophoresis.
BACKGROUND: English plantain (Plantago lanceolata) weed pollen and psyllium (Plantago ovata) husk dust are inhalant allergens. Because of the phylogenetic relationship between these plant species, cross-allergenicity has been a concern. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the possible cross-allergenicity of plantain and psyllium. METHODS: Homologous and heterologous crossed immunoelectrophoresis (CIE) were performed using a commercial English plantain pollen extract and an extract of psyllium seed embryo. Crossed radioimmunoelectrophoresis (CRIE) was performed using sera from subjects who were RAST positive only to plantain (group A), RAST positive only to psyllium (group B), RAST positive to both plantain and psyllium (group C), or RAST negative to both (group D). RESULTS: All of the group A plantain subjects showed IgE binding to at least one of the six plantain allergens in homologous plantain CRIEs while only one of the sera from the group B subjects reacted very weakly to these plantain allergens. In homologous psyllium CRIE, all group B subjects showed pronounced IgE binding to 2 to 7 of the seven psyllium allergens. Several of the plantain subjects demonstrated only very weak binding to psyllium allergens. Heterologous CRIEs demonstrated little relevant IgE binding. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that there is little cross-allergenicity between psyllium husk and English plantain pollen.
Allergens↗
Allergenicity of the mite, Blomia tropicalis.
BACKGROUND: Blomia tropicalis (BT) occurs in a significant percentage of homes in tropical and subtropical geographic regions of the United States and Europe and in countries in South America and Asia along with the pyroglyphid mites, Euroglyphus maynei (EM), Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus, and D. farinae. Blomia species may be major sources of allergens in house dust in addition to Dermatophagoides species and E. maynei. METHODS: Crossed immunoelectrophoresis and crossed radioimmunoelectrophoresis were used to identify the antigens and allergens of BT and to determine the cross-reactivity between BT and the house dust mites, D. farinae, D. pteronyssinus, and the stored product mite, Tyrophagus putrescentiae. RESULTS: Homologous crossed immunoelectrophoresis of BT resulted in 27 antigen-antibody complexes. Crossed radioimmunoelectrophoresis of these gels showed 21 different immunoglobulin E binding antigens when they were incubated in the sera from 14 patients with asthma whose radioallergosorbent test and skin test results were positive. Heterologous crossed immunoelectrophoresis reactions with BT and rabbit D. farinae body and feces, D. pteronyssinus body and feces, and T. putrescentiae body and feces antisera resulted in one to four precipitin lines. BT extract, reacted with rabbit antisera produced against the bodies of D. farinae, D. pteronyssinus, and T. putrescentiae, produced 3, 2, and 4 antigenic peaks, respectively; whereas crossed radioimmunoelectrophoresis of these gels with the sera of the 14 patients with asthma resulted in immunoglobulin E binding to 2, 2, and 4 peaks, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study indicated that BT contained multiple allergens of which most were species-specific. There was a limited amount of cross-reactivity between BT and the two common house dust mite species and the stored product mite. The amount of cross-reactivity appears to parallel the phylogenetic relatedness.
Allergens↗
Allergenicity of Euroglyphus maynei and its cross-reactivity with Dermatophagoides species.
BACKGROUND: The house dust mite, Euroglyphus maynei (EM), is common in homes in England, Europe, the southern United States, and other parts of the world. It is often present in densities greater than 100 mites per gram of dust. EM usually occurs with Dermatophagoides farinae (DF) and D. pteronyssinus (DP) and it is frequently more abundant than Dermatophagoides species. Therefore the allergenicity of EM and the cross-reactivity between EM and Dermatophagoides species are important considerations for diagnosis of mite-induced allergy and the use of appropriate immunotherapy. METHODS: Crossed immunoelectrophoresis revealed that EM was the source of at least 33 antigens. Crossed radioimmunoelectrophoresis with 32 different sera from patients with RAST results that were positive to EM and skin test results that were positive to both DF and DP identified 15 allergens. Individual sera recognized two to eight EM antigens as allergens. RESULTS: Ninety-one percent of the patients showed serum IgE directed at three or more allergens. Eighty-four percent of the patients had moderate or strong levels of IgE directed at antigen no. 33. All 15 allergens showed moderate or strong IgE binding by one or more sera. EM shared four and six cross-reacting allergens with DF and DP, respectively. Therefore 11 and 9 allergens of EM were species-specific and not shared by DF and DP, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study clearly indicate that sensitivity to EM should be considered in geographic areas where this mite is abundant in homes.
Allergens↗
Inhaled aeroallergen and storage mite reactivity in a Wisconsin farmer nested case-control study.
A nested case-control study was undertaken to assess the role of antibody (Ab) to a panel of antigens associated with hypersensitivity pneumonitis in the development of lung disease among Wisconsin dairy farmers. Immunologic reactivity to a panel of inhaled allergens was assessed in the Ab+ cases and compared to the Ab+ control, Ab- control, and Ab- blue-collar control subjects by skin tests, RAST assays, and a modified American Thoracic Society questionnaire. The most prevalent allergens among the cases as determined by either skin test or RAST assays were the house dust mites (HDM) (21.6%), storage mites (11.2%), grain smuts (11.2%), Cladosporium (7.5%), Aspergillus (6.0%), and cattle (5.2%). No other allergens appeared to be different from in nonfarming populations. Of the storage mite reactors, IgE to Lepidoglyphus destructor (7 of 8) was the most frequently found, followed by Tyrophagus putrescentiae (6 of 8), Glycyphagus domesticus (5 of 8), Chortoglyphus arcuatus (5 of 8), and Acarus siro (2 of 8). L. destructor was also isolated from the farm of one of the cases. There was no difference in the total IgE levels among the groups. Reactions to HDM, storage mites, and grain smuts were significantly more frequent among the cases (p < 0.05). We conclude from this study that there is a significant increase in reactivity to certain inhaled allergens among those dairy farmers reporting barn-associated respiratory symptoms that is unrelated to past exposure to the causative agents of farmer's lung disease.
Agricultural Workers' Diseases↗
IgG and IgE antibody responses to dust mite allergens among children with asthma in Brazil.
We compared exposure and levels of IgE and IgG antibodies to inhalant allergens in 20 children with asthma and positive skin tests to Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus, living in São Paulo, to 20 control children without history of asthma or allergy and negative skin tests to D. pteronyssinus, D. farinae, and Blomia tropicalis. In 16/20 and 17/20 houses of asthmatic and control children, respectively, at least one sample was obtained which contained > 10 micrograms Der p I/g of dust. Serum IgE antibodies to D. pteronyssinus and Blomia tropicalis were > 200 RAST U/mL in 19/20 and in 16/20 asthmatic children, respectively. In the control group, IgE antibodies to either mite species were < 40 RAST U/mL in most cases. IgG anti-Der p I and anti-Der f I antibodies were detected in 17/20 asthmatics, as opposed to 3/20 controls. Neither cat nor cockroach allergens caused significant sensitization among asthmatic or control children. Although exposure to high levels of mite allergens was common in São Paulo, significant IgE and IgG antibody responses were detected only in children with asthma.
Administration, Inhalation↗