ALLERGEN AVOIDANCE IN INDIVIDUALS WITH HO USE-DUST MITE SENSITIZATION

Sensitization to house dust mite antigens is a world-wide problem. All ergen concentrations in private households (especially in the bedroom) are often above the threshold that marks an increased risk of sensiti zation. Therefore, allergen reduction is a pivotal goal. Encasing of b edding has proved to be an effective method. Encasing means to enclose the mattress, the pillow and the cover by a material impermeable to p roteins but permeable to water vapour. This has recently been shown to be beneficial for patients with asthma. Since exogenous contact to ho use dust mite proteins leads to a specific type IV immune reaction in a part of the patients with atopic dermatitis it may be expected that encasing also results in an improvement in this manifestation of atopy .