House dust mite allergen levels in Chiang Mai homes

• Main Authors: Trakultivakorn M., Krudtong S.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: 2014
• Online Access: http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-4444333596&partnerID=40&md5=5b299d1e98d889b329f6c9fb370139cb; http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15366651; http://cmuir.cmu.ac.th/handle/6653943832/4263
• Institution: Chiang Mai University

The quantitative assays for house dust mite (HDM) allergens provide a valid index of exposure and can be used for risk evaluation. We assessed group I HDM allergen levels in mattress and living room floor dust from 35 Chiang Mai homes and identified factors associated with high allergen levels. One-third of mattress and living room floor dust had group I HDM allergen levels of between 2-10 μg/g. Two-thirds of mattress dust and a small amount of living room floor dust had group I HDM allergen levels of over 10 μg/g. The geometric means of Der p I, Der f I and total group I allergens in mattress and living room floor dust were 8.61, 2.88, and 15.81 μg/g and 1.61, 0.27 and 2.43 μg/g, respectively. Mattresses made of kapok and rugs kept in the living room were associated with high group I allergen levels.