BENZYL-BENZOATE FOAM - EFFECTS ON MITE ALLERGENS IN MATTRESS, SERUM AND NASAL SECRETORY IGE TO DERMATOPHAGOIDES-PTERONYSSINUS, AND BRONCHIAL HYPERREACTIVITY IN CHILDREN WITH ALLERGIC-ASTHMA

Home mattresses of 24 asthmatic children with house dust mite allergy were sprayed with either benzyl-benzoate foam or placebo in a double b lind fashion, 10 days before the children left the residential house f or asthmatic children Istituto Pio XII (located in the Italian Alps in an environment free of mites) and went back to their own home for the Christmas and Easter holidays. A further group of 8 children, whose m attresses received no treatment, was kept as an absolute control. Two days after spraying, benzyl-benzoate or placebo were vacuumed from the mattresses. Acarex test was performed immediately before spraying and at the end of each holiday period of 20 and 10 days, respectively. Br onchial hyperreactivity as well as serum and nasal secretory specific IgE for Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus were assessed in all children i mmediately before leaving and within 48 hr after returning to the resi dential house. The results of the study show that sprayed benzyl-benzo ate foam was no more effective than placebo in reducing the level of h ouse dust mite recovered from patients' mattresses, or in reducing bro nchial hyperreactivity and IgE concentration in serum and nasal secret ions. Pediatr Pulmonol. 1994; 18:218-227. (C) 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.