Medication requirements and house dust mite exposure in mite‐sensitive asthmatics

Abstract

To better understand the clinical consequences of exposure to house dust mites (HDM), we investigated the relationship between treatment requirements to control symptoms in mite‐allergic asthmatic patients and HDM‐allergenic levels in their mattresses. This study included 49 asthmatic subjects recruited from an outpatient clinic. The protocol consisted of a questionnaire about the number of asthma attacks and treatment requirements in the last 3 months. Patients provided a sample of house dust collected from their mattresses by a standardized vacuum cleaning procedure. Mean antigen P1 equivalent defined as the sum of major allergens Der pI and Der fI (Ag P1 Eq) level was 1.34 μg/g dust in patients who had no treatment, 5.4 μg/g dust in patients who took puffs of beta₂‐agonists only when required and 17.8 μg/g dust in patients who required daily long‐term treatment. Similar relation ships were demonstrated between mean Ag P1 Eq levels and the number of asthma attacks. These data support the clinical role of allergenic exposure in HDM‐allergic asthmatics.