ALLERGEN AVOIDANCE IN THE HOMES OF ATOPIC ASTHMATIC-CHILDREN - THE EFFECT OF ALLERSEARCH DMS

Allersearch DMS (an alcohol based purified benzyltannate complex) is a n acaricide with allergen denaturing properties. The living rooms in t he homes of 16 atopic asthmatic children were thoroughly cleaned and t reated with Allersearch DMS and the effect on allergen concentrations in carpet and soft-furnishing dusts was determined, The skin-test reac tivity of the children to their own dust, collected before and after t reatment, was compared. In 13 of the 16 homes the concentration of maj or house dust mite allergen Der p I was reduced in the carpet dust aft er treatment (P < 0.001) and in 11 homes major cat allergen Fel d I wa s reduced (P = 0.03). Changes in allergen concentrations in soft-furni shing dusts were not significant. Control homes, which were cleaned bu t not treated, showed no significant difference in allergen concentrat ions. There were highly significant reductions in skin-test reactivity to both types of dust after treatment (P < 0.004, P < 0.008) suggesti ng an effect of the compound on allergens other than those individuall y monitored. The change in skin-test response to soft-furnishing corre lated significantly (P < 0.05) with the number of individual sensitivi ties detected in each child. Controlled clinical trials of the effect of Allersearch DMS as part of an allergen avoidance study are now nece ssary.