- Section I 1800–1899
- Section II 1900–1949
- Section III 1950–1999
- Chapter 23 In praise of famous men: early cortisone studies
- Chapter 24 The relationship between mast cells and histamine
- Chapter 25 What goes round comes around: developing allergen immunotherapy
- Chapter 26 Burnet, clonal selection theory, and acquired immunological tolerance
- Chapter 27 Slow-reacting substance of anaphylaxis
- Chapter 28 Loveless and wasp-venom immunotherapy
- Chapter 29 Developing an understanding of mast cell biology
- Chapter 30 Disodium cromoglycate for allergic asthma
- Chapter 31 Ancient Egyptian soup for treating asthma: Cox and Intal
- Chapter 32 RAST: Iconic test for allergic sensitization
- Chapter 33 The discovery of IgE
- Chapter 34 Penicillin allergy: a model for practical clinical translational science
- Chapter 35 Unravelling the relationship between <i>Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus</i> and asthma
- Chapter 36 The Gell–Coombs classification
- Chapter 37 The dawn of molecular allergology
- Chapter 38 Immunotherapy can change the natural history of respiratory allergy
- Chapter 39 Anatomy of the asthmatic bronchi
- Chapter 40 Identifying a novel cause of occupational allergy
- Chapter 41 Delayed hypersensitivity to pollen allergens
- Chapter 42 Inhaled beclomethasone dipropionate: stepping-up asthma care
- Chapter 43 Challenging notions of the ‘atopic personality’
- Chapter 44 Establishing and investigating the relationship between food allergy and asthma
- Chapter 45 The histamine-inhalational test
- Chapter 46 Allergic reactions to colloid infusions—another chapter in the colloid debate
- Chapter 47 Total and specific IgE and allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis
- Chapter 48 Immunotherapy for venom allergy comes of age
- Chapter 49 Extending the evidence for immunotherapy to the management of children with house-dust-mite-triggered asthma
- Chapter 50 Insights from Xhosa children into environmental risk factors for the development of asthma
- Chapter 51 Viral infection, allergic sensitization, and asthma
- Chapter 52 Immune responses in atopic eczema
- Chapter 53 Understanding the relationship between atopic sensitization and airway hyper-responsiveness in asthma
- Chapter 54 Key insights into the relationship between food allergy and atopic dermatitis
- Chapter 55 From slow-reacting substance of anaphylaxis to anti-leukotrienes
- Chapter 56 Once more unto the breach: the role of the damaged bronchial epithelium in asthma
- Chapter 57 Management of anaphylactic shock
- Chapter 58 The hygiene hypothesis
- Chapter 59 In search of the elixir for childhood allergy and asthma prevention
- Chapter 60 A new way of considering ‘quality of life’
- Chapter 61 Food allergy and anaphylaxis
- Chapter 62 Allergen avoidance: the Isle of Wight study
- Chapter 63 Introducing sputum counts
- Chapter 64 Atopic asthma is a TH2-cell-mediated disease
- Chapter 65 Investigating the impact of hay fever on educational performance
- Chapter 66 Findings from an early peanut immunotherapy trial
- Chapter 67 Auto-immune mechanisms in chronic urticaria
- Chapter 68 Air pollution, mortality, and the need for public health policy
- Chapter 69 The geography of asthma and atopy: after the Berlin wall came down
- Chapter 70 The role of animal allergens in allergic disease
- Chapter 71 The natural history of wheezing: the Tucson cohort
- Chapter 72 Measuring food-specific IgE values
- Chapter 73 Tuberculosis exposure and atopy
- Chapter 74 The inner-city home environment and asthma
- Chapter 75 Mapping the burden of allergic disease in childhood: ISAAC
- Chapter 76 The relationship between obesity and asthma
- Chapter 77 The emergence of monoclonal antibodies
- Chapter 78 The renaissance in allergen immunotherapy
- Chapter 79 Pet exposure in early life and the development of allergy and asthma
- Section IV 2000–2012
- Section V Conclusions
(p. 229) The role of animal allergens in allergic disease
- Chapter:
- (p. 229) The role of animal allergens in allergic disease
- Author(s):
Judith A Woodfolk
- DOI:
- 10.1093/med/9780199651559.003.0070
Background: Our objective was to identify the allergens associated with asthma among schoolchildren in an area of the United States where dust mite growth is expected to be poor. Los Alamos, N.M., was chosen because it has low rainfall and is at high altitude (7200 feet) making it very dry. One hundred eleven children (12 to 14 years old) from the middle school who had been previously classified according to bronchial hyperreactivity to histamine (BHR) were studied. Methods: Sera were assayed for IgE antibodies to mite, cat, dog, cockroach, Russian thistle, and grass pollen, with both CAP system fluoroimmunoassay (Kabi Pharmacia, Uppsala, Sweden) and conventional RAST. Allergens were measured in dust samples from 108 homes with two-site assays for mite (Der p 1 and Der f 1), cat (Fel d 1), dog (Can f 1), and cockroach (Bla g 2). Results: Concentrations of dog and cat allergens were elevated in almost all houses with pets but were also high in a significant proportion of the houses without pets. Levels of mite allergen were less than 2 micrograms/gm in 95% of the houses, and cockroach was undetectable in all but two of the houses. Among the 21 with BHR who had symptoms, 67% had IgE antibody to dog and 62% had IgE antibody to cat. For these allergens IgE antibody was strongly associated with asthma (p < 0.001). By contrast, the presence of IgE antibody to mite, cockroach, or grass pollen was not significantly associated with asthma. Conclusion: The high prevalence of IgE antibody to cat and dog allergens among these children is in keeping with the presence of cat and/or dog allergen in most of the houses. Furthermore, sensitization (as judged by IgE antibodies) to cat and dog allergens was strongly associated with asthma. On the other hand, no clear relationship was found between sensitization or symptoms and the current level of allergen in individual houses. The results show that in this mite-and cockroach-free environment sensitization to domestic animals was the most significant association with asthma.
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- Section I 1800–1899
- Section II 1900–1949
- Section III 1950–1999
- Chapter 23 In praise of famous men: early cortisone studies
- Chapter 24 The relationship between mast cells and histamine
- Chapter 25 What goes round comes around: developing allergen immunotherapy
- Chapter 26 Burnet, clonal selection theory, and acquired immunological tolerance
- Chapter 27 Slow-reacting substance of anaphylaxis
- Chapter 28 Loveless and wasp-venom immunotherapy
- Chapter 29 Developing an understanding of mast cell biology
- Chapter 30 Disodium cromoglycate for allergic asthma
- Chapter 31 Ancient Egyptian soup for treating asthma: Cox and Intal
- Chapter 32 RAST: Iconic test for allergic sensitization
- Chapter 33 The discovery of IgE
- Chapter 34 Penicillin allergy: a model for practical clinical translational science
- Chapter 35 Unravelling the relationship between <i>Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus</i> and asthma
- Chapter 36 The Gell–Coombs classification
- Chapter 37 The dawn of molecular allergology
- Chapter 38 Immunotherapy can change the natural history of respiratory allergy
- Chapter 39 Anatomy of the asthmatic bronchi
- Chapter 40 Identifying a novel cause of occupational allergy
- Chapter 41 Delayed hypersensitivity to pollen allergens
- Chapter 42 Inhaled beclomethasone dipropionate: stepping-up asthma care
- Chapter 43 Challenging notions of the ‘atopic personality’
- Chapter 44 Establishing and investigating the relationship between food allergy and asthma
- Chapter 45 The histamine-inhalational test
- Chapter 46 Allergic reactions to colloid infusions—another chapter in the colloid debate
- Chapter 47 Total and specific IgE and allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis
- Chapter 48 Immunotherapy for venom allergy comes of age
- Chapter 49 Extending the evidence for immunotherapy to the management of children with house-dust-mite-triggered asthma
- Chapter 50 Insights from Xhosa children into environmental risk factors for the development of asthma
- Chapter 51 Viral infection, allergic sensitization, and asthma
- Chapter 52 Immune responses in atopic eczema
- Chapter 53 Understanding the relationship between atopic sensitization and airway hyper-responsiveness in asthma
- Chapter 54 Key insights into the relationship between food allergy and atopic dermatitis
- Chapter 55 From slow-reacting substance of anaphylaxis to anti-leukotrienes
- Chapter 56 Once more unto the breach: the role of the damaged bronchial epithelium in asthma
- Chapter 57 Management of anaphylactic shock
- Chapter 58 The hygiene hypothesis
- Chapter 59 In search of the elixir for childhood allergy and asthma prevention
- Chapter 60 A new way of considering ‘quality of life’
- Chapter 61 Food allergy and anaphylaxis
- Chapter 62 Allergen avoidance: the Isle of Wight study
- Chapter 63 Introducing sputum counts
- Chapter 64 Atopic asthma is a TH2-cell-mediated disease
- Chapter 65 Investigating the impact of hay fever on educational performance
- Chapter 66 Findings from an early peanut immunotherapy trial
- Chapter 67 Auto-immune mechanisms in chronic urticaria
- Chapter 68 Air pollution, mortality, and the need for public health policy
- Chapter 69 The geography of asthma and atopy: after the Berlin wall came down
- Chapter 70 The role of animal allergens in allergic disease
- Chapter 71 The natural history of wheezing: the Tucson cohort
- Chapter 72 Measuring food-specific IgE values
- Chapter 73 Tuberculosis exposure and atopy
- Chapter 74 The inner-city home environment and asthma
- Chapter 75 Mapping the burden of allergic disease in childhood: ISAAC
- Chapter 76 The relationship between obesity and asthma
- Chapter 77 The emergence of monoclonal antibodies
- Chapter 78 The renaissance in allergen immunotherapy
- Chapter 79 Pet exposure in early life and the development of allergy and asthma
- Section IV 2000–2012
- Section V Conclusions