A new and simple method used as cleaning system for measuring mite and cat allergens in homes

VOLUME 109, NUMBER 1 method (Chromogenix AB*, Sweden). RESULTS: Using individual samplers, mean airborne endotoxin levels was 0.16 (+ or 0.19) ng/m3. Using static samplers, airborne endotoxin concentrations were 0,17 (+ or 0.15) ng/m3 in living-rooms and 0.19 (+ or -0.19) ng/m3 in bedrooms. 26 dwellings housed a pet animal. Among the studied factors, only the presence of animals caused significant increase in airborne endotoxin concentrations (i.e., mean of 0.22 ng/m3 compared to 0.14 ng/m3; p = 0.005). CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that: 1, Levels of airborne endotoxin found in domestic environment were comparable to those found in animal facilities and dramatically lower than those in swine confinement, poultry and cotton mills. 2. Presence of animals increased airborne endotoxin levels. 1 1 8 A New and Simple Method Used as Cleaning System for Mea suring Mite and Cat Allergens in Homes Simona Battucci*, Christelle Mazuet§, Aude Cahen§, Gabriele Peltre¥ *Procter & Gamble, Roma, Italy §Texcell, Institute Pasteur, Paris, France glnstitute Pasteur, Paris, France Mite and cat allergens are the most common indoor allergens present in homes. The majority of the population is regularly exposed to them in homes. Studies have usually determined levels of exposure through the analysis of dust samples collected by vacuuming house dust. The allergens collected in the dust bags are extracted in a liquid phase and quantified by ELISA. In this study, new disposable dry cloths developed by Procter & Gamble for their high dust collection capacity, Swiffer ®, were used for collecting and measuring allergens in laboratory testing and in real conditions. The dust and allergen binding capacity of Swifter was determined by adding increasing amounts of natural dust to a 16 cm 2 piece of Swiffer and extracting Der pl , Der fl and Fel dl allergen by rapid water extraction. Results showed that 16 cm 2 piece of Swifter (weighing approx 114 rag) is able to capture more than 210 nag of dust on one side. The allergen recovery after the first Swiffer water extraction was up to 81% of allergens. Up to 98% recovery can be achieved with two additional consecutive rapid water extractions. This confirms that no significant difference exists between the amount of allergens extracted from Swifter and the amount of allergens extracted from the dust. We also evaluated the Swiffer's efficiency at removing allergens from typical dusty domestic floors simulated by spraying standardized dust at a density of 340 mg/m 2. To assess the ability of Swifter to bind indoor allergens in real conditions, we conducted tests on Swifter cloths used to clean the floors in 40 homes in Italy, 10 homes in France, 20 homes in Spain, 10 in Portugal, 25 in Belgium. The cloths were wiped across flat, smooth floors made of tiles, marble or wooden parquet. An easy and rapid aqueous extraction of the dust was then performed to detect and quantify the maj or allergen of the Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus mite Der p 1, Dermatophagoides farinae Der f 1 and the major cat allergen Fel d 1. Results show that the two mite allergens are present in most of the homes at very different levels, independently of each other. Differences in the results obtained in different countries are most likely due to differences in local environment, climate conditions and life style. Cat major allergen Fel d 1 levels are high when a cat is present in the homes but still detectable in homes without cat. The results of these different tests show that Swiffer has a high dust and allergen uptake capacity for mites and cat allergens and the methodology used to extract allergens allows to obtain up to 80% with the first extraction, independently from the amount of dust collected and the level of allergens tested (Der p 1, Der f 1 and Fel d 1). 19 Identification of Preschool Children With Asthma J Berg*, GS Rachelefsky§, CA Jones', R McConnell¥, M Tichacek*, R Thompsont~, K Feliciano¥, DM ApodacalE *UCLA, Los Angeles, CA §Allergy Research Foundation Incorporated, Los Angeles, CA gUSC, Los Angeles, CA ~Los Angeles Unified School District, Los Angeles, CA The aim of this study was to facilitate the screening of low-income preschoolers for asthma and allergy. In an effort to aid asthma diagnosis and treatment, we surveyed parents of children that were enrolled in the Los Angeles Unified early education program. Ninety-nine early education centers participated in the survey. The survey is a seven-question instrument, developed for the Breathmobile TM by Dr. Craig Jones at LA countyUSC Medical Center. Surveys were initially returned from 74 centers and the return rate was 19.7%. Twelve centers had return rates of greater than 50%. The second phase of the surveillance will target the 25 centers that did not return any surveys with school supply incentives for teachers that encourage survey completion. Preliminary results indicate that 13% of the preschoolers missed 5 or more days of school per year for respiratory symptoms. Fourteen percent reported repeated episodes of difficulty breathing, with 11.7% having an ER visit or hospitalization during the past 2 years for respiratory symptoms. The majority of the sample was of Latino descent (71%) and had no insurance coverage. Few families had private or workrelated health insurance. Since the early diagnosis and treatment of asthma in preschool children can reduce life long asthma morbidity, school-based surveillance programs are a promising method of surveillance. '~ Prevalence of Asthma and Related Symptoms in Children and l lU I Adolescents From Public and Private Schools an ISAAC Study Susana RR Costa, Virginia Paes Leme Ferriani School of Medicine of Ribeir~o Preto-University of San Paulo, Ribeirao Preto, Brazil The ISAAC written questionnaire was applied to 3165 children aged 6-7 years old, and to 5504 adolescents aged 13-14 years old, registered in 38 public and 15 private schools in Ribeirao Preto, Southeast Brazil. In the group of 6-7 year-old children, the prevalence of wheezing ever, wheezing in the past year, diagnosed asthma, wheezing related to exercise and night cough were: 47.6%/42.8%; 23.7%/21.2%; 8.6%/6.8%; 6.7%/6.0%; 39.1%/36.9%, for boys and girls, respectively. Among the 13-14 year-old children, comparable prevalence results were: 35.9%/44.2%; 14.3%/18.8%; 8.8%/10.6%; 15.8%/17.0%; 25,4%/38.4% for boys and girls, respectively. We have also compared the frequency of positive answers to ISAAC questions No. 1, 2, 6, 7 and 8 among students from public and private schools, and the results are shown below. Overall, there was a significantly higher prevalence of asthma symptoms in adolescents from public schools, comprising children from lower socio-economical families. In keeping with studies in other parts of the world, comparison of reported symptoms and diagnosed asthma revealed significantly lower frequency of diagnosed asthma, suggesting that asthma is underdiagnosed in the population we have studied. It has been recently shown that the question "wheezing in the past year" is the best tool for discriminating asthmatic from non-asthmatic Brazilian children (Camelo-Nunes IC et al JACI 107:$230 abs 755, 2001). In keeping with this, the prevalence of asthma in Ribeirao Preto is 22.5% and 16.7% for 6-7 and 13-14 year-old children, respectively. These results are similar to those reported for other cities in Brazil, and indicate that prevalence of asthma in Brazil is comparable to the prevalence reported in developed countries.