Naslov
Allergic disorders of the respiratory system and skin II - environmental exposure ansd allergy to dust mites in Croatia

Autori
Kanceljak-Macan, Božica ; Milković-Kraus, Sanja ; Plavec, Davor ; Macan, Jelena

Vrsta, podvrsta i kategorija rada
Sažeci sa skupova, sažetak, pregledni

Izvornik
An Environment for Better Health / Autrup, Herman - Aarhus : European Science Foundation ; World Health Organisation, 2003

Skup
EU-supported conference "An Environment for Better Health"

Mjesto i datum
Århus, Danska, 08.05.2003. - 10.05.2003

Vrsta sudjelovanja
Poster

Vrsta recenzije
Međunarodna recenzija

Ključne riječi
pyroglyphid dust mites; non-pyroglyphid dust mites; general population; industrial population; Dustscreen test; prick test; specific IgE

Sažetak
Objectives: Epidemiological studies of environmental exposure and allergy to pyroglyphid ("house dust mites"- HDM) and non-pyroglyphid ("storage mites"- SM) mites in Croatia. Subjects: General urban and rural adult population from inland and coastal Croatia, and several industrial inland populations occupationally exposed to organic dusts (textile, paper-mill, meat processing, brewery, animal food workers and swine farmers). Material: House dust samples were collected from the floors of bedrooms and living rooms in urban and rural areas of inland and coastal Croatia, and from a paper-recycling plant. Methods: Mites were separated from the dust using the floatation method and then microscopically identified. The levels of Der p 1, Der f 1 and Der 2 were measured using the DUSTSCREENTM test (Heska AG, Switzerland). Allergy to HDM Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (DP) and Dermatophagoides farinae (DF), and SM Lepidoglyphus destructor (LD) and Tyrophagus putrescentiae (TP) was established by a standard questionnaire, skin prick testing (SPT) and serum specific IgE measurement using ELISA. Results: The prevalence of allergy to HDM in general urban inland population was 13% in year 1995 (1), and in 2000 rose to 22.4%, when 14.9% subjects also showed allergy to LD and 22.3% to TP (2). There was a significantly higher frequency of allergy to HDM in meat processing, animal food, textile and swine farming occupations than in general population of the same region (1). The frequency of allergy to SM was significantly higher in paper-mill workers than in a group of postmen from the same region (3). High frequencies of allergy to SM in our studies, particularly to TP, led to data analysis which confirmed insufficient specificity of TP allergen extract used for SPT (4). In 2002, acarological analysis of dust samples was introduced. More then 70% of mites identified in all areas were pyroglyphid. Non-pyroglyphid mites participated with 20-25% of all mites identified in the coastal area (Blomia, Lepidoglyphus and Glycyphagus) and with 15% of mites identified inland (Lepidoglyphus and Acarus). TP was found only sporadically in both areas. The highest Der p 1 median levels were found in the caostal area, with significantly lower levels in inland rural and urban areas (4.5 ; 2 ; 0.85  g/g of dust ; P=0.0001). The highest Der f 1 median levels were found in inland urban area, with significantly lower levels in inland rural and coastal areas (0.88 ; 0.75 ; 0  g/g of dust ; P=0.0013) (5). In dust samples from the paper-recycling plant, Der p 1 and Der f 1 level were below 0, 5 g/g and no dust mites were found microscopically. Conclusions: The prevalence of allergy to HDM in general urban population of inland Croatia is about 20% with significant environmental exposure to HDM in general indoor conditions. The high frequency of allergy to HDM in some industrial populations is most likely the reflection of such exposure in general conditions. High frequency of allergy to SM in general and working urban populations is probably due to cross-reactivity between HDM and SM and the non-specific skin reactions, particularly to TP. The results of acarologic analysis encourage the implementation of separate diagnostic dust mite lists for the inland and coastal Croatia. Publications: 1. Macan J, Kanceljak-Macan B. Prevalence of sensitization to Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus in several industrial populations. Arh hig rada toksikol 1995 ; 46: 399-404. 2. Kanceljak-Macan B, Macan J, Buneta L, Milković-Kraus S. Sensitization to non-pyroglyphid mites in urban population of Croatia. Croat Med J 2000 ; 41(1):54-57. 3. Macan J, Kanceljak-Macan B, Žuškin E, Milković-Kraus S. Sensitization to storage mites in urban working environment. Arh hig rada toksikol 1998 ; 49:27-32. 4. Kanceljak-Macan B, Macan J, Plavec D, Klepac T, Milković-Kraus S. The 3 mm skin prick test (SPT) threshold criterion is not reliable for Tyrophagus putrescentiae: the re-evaluation of SPT criterion to dust mites. Allergy 2002 ; 57(12):1187-1190. 5. Macan J, Kanceljak B, Plavec D, Milković-Kraus S. Differences in mite fauna between the continental and Mediterranean climates of Croatia: microscopy and Dustscreen test findings. Allergy, in press.

Izvorni jezik
Engleski

Znanstvena područja
Kliničke medicinske znanosti, Javno zdravstvo i zdravstvena zaštita

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