Mobility of Aeroallergens in Home: Effect of Location of Air Sampling and Implication for Evaluation of Patient Exposure

RATIONALE: We developed a user-friendly airborne allergen sampling device for patients with allergic asthma or rhinitis. This device was previously evaluated for its use in the bedroom. Here we run multiple devices at multiple locations within a house to determine whether bedroom aeroallergen profile is representative of the whole house.

METHODS:The devices were run at the same time at 12 locations in a home occupied by a family and a dog. The dog had access to all rooms except the basement. Twelve common household allergens were tested with MARIA™ multiplex immunoassays kits from Indoor Biotechnologies. Biomass measurements on the same samples were performed by spectrophotometry. Allergen and biomass capture increased linearly for 5 days and plateaued between 5 and 7 days. Five days was therefore selected as the standard sampling time.

RESULTS: Allergen profiles showed similar levels of Can f 1 (dog) at all testing locations except for a trace found in the basement from which the dog was restricted. Mold Asp f 1 was found in the basement but in no other location. Four locations showed timothy grass at borderline detectable levels. No other allergens were detected. Biomass was within a cv of +14%, showing relative consistency of air quality throughout the house.

CONCLUSIONS: Outdoor allergens may appear sporadically. Results are consistent with a dynamic equilibrium throughout the house depending on air flow and pet movements. Home aeroallergen sampling from any of several locations may accurately reflect a person’s allergen exposure.