The dose of house dust mite antigen (P1) inhaled by infants aged one month
Carswell, F.; Clark, J.; Robinson, P.; Platts-Mills, T.A.
Annals of Allergy 51(5): 539-542
1983
ISSN/ISBN: 0003-4738 PMID: 6638616 Document Number: 213808
A survey of the habitats occupied in the United Kingdom by 12 infants aged 1 month showed that about 10% of their day was spent in conditions of potential exposure to the major allergen (P1) of Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (Trt.). A respiratory pump that reproduced the minute ventilation of an infant was placed in representative infant habitats. The P1 allergen was trapped by the pump filter only when there was active air disturbance, such as bed-making and vacuuming. The average P1 intake was about 3 ng P1/24 h. A comparison of this intake with that which sensitises in other situations suggests that it is usually inadequate to sensitise infants.