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Skin test and crossreactivity studies with Euroglyphus maynei and Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus
S F Kemp1, R F Lockey, E Fernández-Caldas
1Department of Internal Medicine, University of South Florida College of Medicine and the James A. Haley Veterans' Hospital, Tampa, USA.
Background:
The prevalence of sensitization to Euroglyphus maynei (E. maynei) in the United States has not been reported previously.
Objectives:
To determine: (1) the prevalence of skin-test reactivity in allergic subjects to E. maynei compared to D. pteronyssinus, D. farinae, and B. tropicalis and (2) the allergenic crossreactivity between D. pteronyssinus and E. maynei.
Methods:
Skin testing with extracts of B. tropicalis and E. maynei (1:50 w/v) and standardized D. pteronyssinus and D. farinae extracts (1:50 w/v; 10,000 AU/mL) provided data on 250 subjects (87 males and 163 females) aged 9-77 years (mean age, 39.8 years) with possible allergic respiratory diseases. RAST inhibition assays were used to study crossreactivity between D. pteronyssinus and E. maynei.
Results:
One hundred (40%) of 250 subjects had insignificant or no allergic diseases. Of the 150 allergic subjects (53 males, 97 females), 101 (67.3%) had a positive test (a percutaneous test with a weal diameter > or = 3 mm larger than the saline control) to at least one mite species; 60.7%, 60.0%, 28.7%, and 52.0% reacted to D. farinae, D. pteronyssinus, B. tropicalis, and E. maynei, respectively; 40 (26.7%) reacted to the four mite species. Positive tests to D. farinae, D. pteronyssinus, B. tropicalis, or E. maynei alone occurred in six (4.0%), four (2.7%), two (1.3%), and 0%, respectively. D. pteronyssinus and E. maynei showed moderately high crossreactivity in RAST inhibition assays.
Conclusion:
There is a high rate of skin-test reactivity to E. maynei in Florida. Moderately high crossreactivity exists between E. maynei and D. pteronyssinus.