DOMESTIC EXPOSURE TO FUNGI AND TOTAL SERUM IGE LEVELS IN ASTHMATIC CHILDREN

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DOMESTIC EXPOSURE TO FUNGI AND TOTAL SERUM IGE LEVELS IN ASTHMATIC

CHILDREN

http://www.hindawi.com/journals/mi/forthcoming/S0962935105503090.html

HUEY-JEN JENNY SU, PEI-CHIH WU, HUAN-YAO LEI, and JIU-YAO WANG

Received 9 March 2005; accepted 21 March 2005

In this study, we measured the number of airborne, viable fungi and

house dust mite (HDM) allergen levels in the homes of a group of

asthmatic children. Blood samples were drawn and the amounts of

total and specific serum IgE were determined. The association

between the number of fungal colonies, dust mite allergen exposure

and specific and total IgE was evaluated.

The number of viable airborne fungi was high (20,543 CFU/m3) in

those investigated houses. Der p1 concentrations on child's mattress

exceeding 2ìg/g were found in 78.6% of the houses. A quantitative

dose-response relationship was demonstrated between the exposure to

viable, airborne moulds and the amount of total IgE (r=0.4399 and

p=0.0249) and the level was further increased in children with co-

exposure of viable fungi and HDM.

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