Levels of house dust mite allergen in cars [Razine alergena prašinskih grinja u automobilima]

Abstract

This small study investigated house dust mite (HDM) allergen levels in cars and their owners’ homes in north-east Scotland. Dust samples from twelve households and cars were collected in a standardised manner. The dust samples were extracted and measured for the Dermatophagoides group 2 allergens (Der p 2 and Der f 2) and total soluble protein. Allergen levels at homes tended to be higher than in the cars, but not significantly. However, they significantly correlated with paired car dust samples expressed either per unit weight of dust or soluble protein (rho=0.657; p=0.02 and 0.769; p=0.003, respectively). This points to house-to-car allergen transfer, with the car allergen levels largely reflecting levels in the owner’s home. Car HDM allergen levels were lower than those reported in Brazil and the USA. Twenty-five percent of the houses and none of the cars had allergen levels in dust greater than 2000 ng g-1. This value is often quoted as a threshold for the risk of sensitisation, although a number of studies report increased risk of sensitisation at lower levels. This small study does not allow for characterisation of the distribution of HDM allergen in vehicles in this geographic area, or of the likely levels in other warmer and more humid areas of the UK. Cars and other vehicles are an under-investigated micro-environment for exposure to allergenic material.

U ovome smo preliminarnom istraživanju izmjerili razine alergena prašinskih grinja u automobilima i domovima njihovih vlasnika u sjevernoistočnoj Škotskoj. Uzorci prašine uzeti su na standardizirani način iz dvanaest domova i dvanaest odgovarajućih automobila. Nakon ekstrakcije izmjerene su razine 2. skupine alergena grinja roda Dermatophagoides (Der p 2 i Der f 2) te njihove ukupne topljive bjelančevine. Razine alergena u kućama bile su mahom više nego u automobilima, ali ne značajno. Uočena je međutim značajna korelacija njihovih razina s razinama u automobilima, bez obzira na to jesu li iskazane udjelom težine po gramu prašine ili topljivim bjelančevinama (rho=0,657; p=0,02 odnosno 0,769; p=0,003). To upućuje na prijenos alergena iz kuće u auto tj. pokazuje da razine alergena u autima odražavaju razine u domovima njihovih vlasnika. Razine alergena kućnih prašinskih grinja u automobilima u Škotskoj bile su niže od onih izmjerenih u Brazilu i SAD-u. U 25 % domova razina alergena bila je viša od 2000 ng g-1, a ni u jednom uzorku nije izmjerena razina viša od te. Ta se vrijednost često smatra graničnom za rizik od senzitizacije, premda neka istraživanja govore o povišenom riziku od senzitizacije i pri nižim razinama alergena. Rezultati ovog istraživanja ne daju uvida u stvarnu prisutnost alergena kućnih prašinskih grinja u vozilima u sjeveroistočnoj Škotskoj niti upućuju na to kolike bi mogle biti njihove razine u toplijim i vlažnijim krajevima Ujedinjenog Kraljevstva. Automobili i ostala vozila zanemareni su kao izvori izloženosti alergenima.