Sensitization to granary mites in patients with allergic diseases

As many as 71 patients selected from a group of 550 patients suffering from allergic diseases, sensitized to the house dust mites Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus were examined. A study was made of the presence of allergen-specific IgE antibodies against house dust mites, storage mites (7 species altogether) using allergenic discs and commercial kits RAST (Pharmacia, Sweden). The group under examination mostly manifested sensitization to the house dust mites: Dermatophagoides ferinae (80%), Euroglyphus maynei (55%); storage mites: Acarus siro (45%), Lepidoglyphus destructor (35%). The latter one possesses the most powerful allergenic properties as compared to the acaroid mites of other types. The elevated sensitivity to storage mites is encountered among adults and children living both in Moscow and other regions (urban and rural). The problem of sensitization to storage mites in the USSR mandates thorough studies, which will enable the treatment and diagnostic agents to be designed and introduced into practice.