• 지역사회간호학회지
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• 제13권1호
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• pp.79-88
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• 2002

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify the indoor environment i.e. house type and age, ventilation method, use of bed & sofa, cockroach, ants, etc. on HDM (House dust mites), especially Der fI allergen. Method: Samples of dust from mattresses, pillows and the floor were collected by using a vacuum cleaner from April. 2000. The amount of Group I allergen(Der. fI) of HDM (house dust mites) were measured by two-site ELISA. Indoor Environmental characteristics were accessed by using questionnaires on 178 house wives living in the Seoul area. Results: The amount of HDM allergen (Der fI) was higher in sofa using house. There were higher concentrations of HDM allergen (Der fI) in sofas made from quilt material than for those that were made from leather. Homes that had pets like dogs living in them had higher concentrations of HDM allergen (Der fI) than without dogs. Conclusion: The photophobic mites thrive in dark. warm and humid environments; Items such as pillows. mattresses, box springs, blankets. carpets. and upholstered furniture should be considered ideal environments for the mite. Therefore, an indoor environmental control program should be carried out to avoid the HDM allergen.

• 한국환경보건학회지
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• 제40권5호
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• pp.367-375
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• 2014

Objectives: The main purpose of this study is to produce background data which can be compared with several large-scale industrial complex regions. Methods: The framework of this study was designed to evaluate and monitor health effects associated with low-level and long-term exposure to environmental pollutants. In this study, 1,009 local residents were recruited in the city of Chungju using personal questionnaires, medical check-ups, and allergen skin-prick tests for 12 common allergens. The prevalence rate of skin allergens was reviewed together with that from large-scale industrial areas. Results: The diagnosis prevalence and medical treatment prevalence of asthma was 5.6% and 1.7%, respectively. Allergic rhinitis was 25.4% and 16.7%, allergic dermatitis was 16.6% and 9.9% and allergic conjunctivitis was 18.7% and 7.9%, respectively. These results were similar with those of industrial complexes. The prevalence of allergen skin-prick test was 16.4% and the most common allergen was dust mites (27.9-31.6%). This result was lower than those of the industrial complexes (22.5-39.9%) and Gangneung (18.2-24.7%). Conclusion: Further study is required to find the cause of the regional differences in skin prick prevalence.

• 한국동물위생학회지
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• 제46권3호
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• pp.219-225
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• 2023

Canine atopic dermatitis (CAD) has a genetic basis and is primarily a skin disorder characterized by allergic features. It is caused by an excessive immune response, associated with immunoglobulin E(IgE), to allergens and shows clinical signs of itching and inflammation. The present study evaluated the allergen-specific and total IgE concentration in dogs with allergic disorders. Allergen-specific IgE analysis was performed using a Multiple Allergen Simultaneous Test (MAST) assay, and total IgE analysis was conducted using an ELISA in 82 dogs with CAD. The subjects were divided into two groups: dogs aged ≤3 years and dogs aged >3 years, enabling a comparison of total IgE concentrations between the two age groups. The results showed that the major affecting environmental allergen was Alternaria alternate, and the major affecting dietary allergen was raw chestnut. The results revealed that dogs aged ≤3 years had higher total IgE concentrations than dogs aged >3 years with significant difference. The results of this study can contribute to the diagnosis and treatment of CAD in South Korea.

• 한국환경보건학회지
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• 제36권1호
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• pp.27-32
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• 2010

The indoor environmental condition was assessed in houses with allergy (asthma and atopy) patients by use of a fungal detector. The fungal index was calculated from the growth rate of the sensor fungi in a fungal detector encapsulating the spores, Alternaria alternata S-78, Eurotium herbariorum J-183 and Aspergillus penicillioides K-712. Fungal indices were higher in asthma patient's houses than in control houses and Eurotium herbariorum showed the highest growth response among the sensor fungi. Dust mites allergen, Der f1, was also significantly high in allergy patient's houses where fungal indices above 10 were detected. A correlation was observed between the fungal indices and dust mite allergen proliferations in examined houses. Therefore, the fungal index can be a useful tool as an indirect indication for detecting chronic dampness that brings both contaminations by fungi and dust mite.

• Architectural research
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• 제9권2호
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• pp.37-45
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• 2007

The proliferation of the House Dust Mite(HDM) is affected by temperature, humidity, ventilation, etc. Measuring temperature and humidity was performed at the very location where dust samplings take place and where they live in reality together with temperature and humidity of the ambient of the room. There has been discussion over the key environment factor of HDM survival; absolute humidity or relative humidity. It seems that relative humidity is the more important determinant for the mite's survival through the analysis of previous studies. Temperature, humidity, ventilation rate and Der P1 were measured in 4 flats in London. Mite allergen was detected in every house. Levels of Der P1 varied between <100ng/g and 22,778ng/g. Flats with high relative humidity(>50%) and poor ventilation(<0.5ach) showed higher levels of mite allergen than flats with lower humidity and adequate air change rate. Questionnaire survey was conducted and the result helped to confirm the findings from monitoring of environmental factors and the dust sampling.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• 제48권2호
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• pp.151-155
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• 2010

Allergen extracts from dust mites and cockroaches commonly found in Korean homes were used to evaluate their enzymatic activity as they are believed to influence allergenicity. Allergen extracts were prepared from 3 dust mite species (Dermatophagoides farinae, D. pteronyssinus, and Tyrophagus putrescentiae) and 3 cockroach species (Blattella germanica, Periplaneta americana, and P. fuliginosa) maintained in the Korea National Arthropods of Medical Importance Resource Bank. Proteins were extracted in PBS after homogenization using liquid nitrogen. The activities of various enzymes were investigated using the API Zym system. No significant difference in phosphatase, lipase, or glycosidase activity was observed among the 6 allergen extracts, but much difference was observed in protease activity. Protease activity was assessed in more detail by gelatin zymography and the EnzChek assay. Extract from T. putrescentiae showed the highest protease activity, followed by those of the cockroach extracts. Extracts from D. farinae and D. pteronyssinus showed only weak protease activity. Gelatinolytic activity was detected mainly in a 30-kDa protein in D. farinae, a 28-kDa protein in D. pteronyssinus, a > 26-kDa protein in T. putrescentiae, a > 20-kDa protein in B. germanica, and a > 23-kDa protein in P. americana and P. fuliginosa. The information on various enzymatic activities obtained in this study may be useful for future studies. In particular, the strong protease activity found in cockroach extracts could contribute to sensitization to cockroach allergens, which is known to be associated with the development of asthma.

• 한국임상수의학회지
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• 제38권3호
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• pp.120-126
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• 2021

Intradermal skin test (IDST) is generally considered a useful tool in identifying causal allergens in canine atopic dermatitis. Currently, multiple allergen simultaneous test (MAST), an in vitro testing method for allergen-specific immunoglobulin E, is being used as an alternative method. However, there are no reports comparing the IDST and MAST results in the same dogs. This study compared the results of both tests to evaluate the agreement and correlation between them. The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of the MAST were 76.2%, 64%, and 66.7%, respectively. Moderate positive predicted value (PPV, 50-75%) or high sensitivity (80-100%) were identified for indoor allergens, such as cat epithelia, house dust, and house dust mites. In contrast, high negative predicted value (NPV, 93.3-100%) and specificity (60-100%) were observed for environmental allergens and fungi. Although the agreement between IDST and MAST for all allergens was fair (κ = 0.301), that for each allergen was poor (κ < 0.01), except for birch (κ = 0.158). Spearman's rank correlation analysis revealed a low correlation between the MAST and IDST results (ρ = 0.308, p = 0.001). As compared to the IDST results, the MAST results did not identify the causative allergens sufficiently. IDST may not be performed for environmental allergens and fungi with high NPV and specificity if the MAST result is negative, but it may have to be performed for indoor allergens with moderate PPV and high sensitivity when the MAST result is positive.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• 제25권2호
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• pp.121-129
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• 2010

This study was carried out to investigate whether asian yellow sand dust (AS) has promoting effects of allergen-related airway inflammation and airway hyperresponsiveness, because the number of patient with allergic asthma and atopy, and with chronic bronchial inflammation and pneumonia have increased steadily in the cities of Korea. The appearance of AS collected was all round and flat, and the diameter was mostly below about 5 ${\mu}m$. When mice were treated with AS suspension by intratracheal instillation combined with ovalalbumin(OVA) sensitization chronically, the level of serum L-lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), IgE and histamine, and respiratory resistance was increased. Intratracheal instillation of AS and OVA also enhanced infiltration of eosinophils in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), IgE and eotaxin expression, and T helper type 2 cell derived cytokines of interleukin (IL)-4, IL-13 and IL-5 as major contributors to allergy and asthma. These results indicate that AS elevates allergen-related airway inflammation and airway hyperresponsiveness in mice and may play an important role in the aggravation of respiratory diseases in Korea.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• 제46권4호
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• pp.243-246
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• 2008

Bla g 2 is a cockroach allergen of great importance, This study was conducted to identify IgE-binding epitope(s) of Bla g 2 using the recombinant protein technique, Approximately 50% of tested sera showed IgE reactivity to Pichia-expressed Bla g 2 (PrBla g 2) and E. coli-expressed Bla g 2 (ErBla g 2), Only 5,3% of serum samples showed stronger reactivity to PrBla g 2 than ErBla g 2, indicating that serum was reactive to conformational or carbohydrate epitopes. The full-length and 5 peptide fragments of Bla g 2 were produced in E. coli. All fragments showed IgE-binding activity to the cockroach-allergy patients' sera. Specifically, peptide fragments of amino acid residue 1-75 and 146-225 appeared to be important for IgE-binding. The information about the IgE-binding epitope of Bla g 2 can aid in the diagnosis and treatment for cockroach allergies.

• 한국환경성돌연변이발암원학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국환경성돌연변이발암원학회 2003년도 추계학술대회
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• pp.124-124
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• 2003