[Characteristics of an allergen from Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus mites]

The laboratory cultivation of house dust mites (Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus) was shown to yield the maximum amount of the mites in 10--12 weeks. Hair accumulated in electric razors and house dust mixed with hair from electric razors should be considered the most promising medium for their cultivation. Scarification tests with D. pteronyssinus allergen prepared with the use of specially developed technology produced positive results in 56% of patients hypersensitive to house dust allergen.