TY - JOUR
T1 - The effect of cat removal on allergen content in household-dust samples
AU - Wood, Robert A.
AU - Chapman, Martin D.
AU - Adkinson, N. Franklin
AU - Eggleston, Peyton A.
N1 - Funding Information:
From the *Departments of Pediatrics, Division of Immunology, and **Internal Medicine, Division of Clinical Immunology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Md.; and the **“Division of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Depart-ment of Medicine, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Va. Supported by National Institutes of Health Grant AI-21073, by the Hospital for Consumptives of Maryland (Eudowood Fund), and the Harriet Lane Pediatric Fellowship. Received for pubiication July 19, 1988. Accepted for publication Sept. 18, 1988. Reprint requests: Robert A. Wood, MD, The Johns Hopkins Hos-pital, 500 N. Wolfe St., CMSC 1103 Baltimore, MD 21205.
PY - 1989/4
Y1 - 1989/4
N2 - To evaluate the effect of cat removal on cat-allergen content in the home, serial house dust samples were collected from 15 homes during a 9- to 43-week period after cat removal. Samples were obtained with a hand-held vacuum cleaner, and allergen content was quantitated by a radioimmunoassay specific for the major cat allergen, Fel d I. Baseline Fel d I content ranged from 7.8 Food and Drug Administration units per gram of dust to 436.7 U/gm (median 61.2 U/ gm), consistent with levels found in homes with a pet cat. Fel d I levels declined gradually in most homes, and by 20 to 24 weeks after cat removal, eight of 15 reached levels consistent with levels found in control homes without cats. In two of those homes, allergen levels fell much more rapidly after aggressive environmental control measures were undertaken. In the other seven homes, however, the decline occurred at a much slower rate, with three homes demonstrating persistent elevations in Fel d I content for 20 or more weeks. These data demonstrate that the task of allergen elimination from an indoor environment is extremely difficult, even when the source of a specific allergen can be identified and removed.
AB - To evaluate the effect of cat removal on cat-allergen content in the home, serial house dust samples were collected from 15 homes during a 9- to 43-week period after cat removal. Samples were obtained with a hand-held vacuum cleaner, and allergen content was quantitated by a radioimmunoassay specific for the major cat allergen, Fel d I. Baseline Fel d I content ranged from 7.8 Food and Drug Administration units per gram of dust to 436.7 U/gm (median 61.2 U/ gm), consistent with levels found in homes with a pet cat. Fel d I levels declined gradually in most homes, and by 20 to 24 weeks after cat removal, eight of 15 reached levels consistent with levels found in control homes without cats. In two of those homes, allergen levels fell much more rapidly after aggressive environmental control measures were undertaken. In the other seven homes, however, the decline occurred at a much slower rate, with three homes demonstrating persistent elevations in Fel d I content for 20 or more weeks. These data demonstrate that the task of allergen elimination from an indoor environment is extremely difficult, even when the source of a specific allergen can be identified and removed.
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U2 - 10.1016/0091-6749(89)90006-7
DO - 10.1016/0091-6749(89)90006-7
M3 - Article
C2 - 2708734
AN - SCOPUS:0024553975
SN - 0091-6749
VL - 83
SP - 730
EP - 734
JO - The Journal of allergy and clinical immunology
JF - The Journal of allergy and clinical immunology
IS - 4
ER -