The Effect of Indoor Environmental Characteristics on the Detection of House Dust Mite Der p2 and Der f2 in Asthmatics

Objective: Mites in house dust play a prominent role in the development of allergic sensitization and as a triggering factor that impairs disease control in asthma. The aim of the study was to determine whether the concentration of house dust mite allergens is associated with indoor conditions in stable asthmatics. Materials and Methods: During the study period, a total of 97 asthmatic patients were queried with a standard survey for their demographical characteristics and living environment. House dust samples from their houses were collected to quantitatively measure Dermatophagoides farinae (Der f2) and Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (Der p2) levels by using the Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method. Results: Using the quantitative ELISA method, measurable levels of mite allergens were found in 54.1% of the houses. Higher antigen detection rate was found in houses with visible mould and in those with moisture. The number of household was found to be significantly higher in houses with antigens than in those without antigens. When the indoor characteristics were evaluated by logistic regression analysis, larger number of household (≥4) was found to be a significant risk factor for the presence of mite allergens. The odds ratio for detecting Der p2 and Der f2 antigen was found to be 5.29 (confidence interval 2.18-12.86) (p