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PubMed · 9926162

Pitfalls in evaluating mite exposure from house-dust samples.

T E Hallas
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Abstract

Results from vacuum collected samples from a patient's environment may support the diagnosis of mite allergy. High estimates of mites or mite allergens do show that a patient is exposed. Low estimates are harder to interpret. Estimates may be low due to dust dynamics or to the behaviour of the mites, which, according to their biology, can be present or almost absent in the samples. A survey is given of the nature of these obstacles to proportionality between sample results and the exposure which might be experienced by a patient during a period of time. To reduce the problems of false-negative estimates of exposures from single samples, series of samples collected weeks apart may improve the significance of diagnoses.

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AllergensAnimalsAntigens, DermatophagoidesDustEnvironmental ExposureEvaluation Studies as TopicGlycoproteinsHumansMitesSensitivity and SpecificityJournal Article

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BibTeXRIS

T E Hallas. 1998. Pitfalls in evaluating mite exposure from house-dust samples.. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0954-6111(98)90401-2

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