Human dander in house dust allergy

Abstract

Naturally shed human mite-free skin squames were collected from bedding and used to prepare a human dander extract. When the extract was coupled to CNBr-activated paper disks, and used in the RAST [radioallergosorbent] assay, Ig[immunoglobulin]E titers to the skin extract were observed in the sera from several patients with house dust allergy. The sera with IgE to the skin extract also had high IgE titers to house dust, Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus or cat fur. RAST inhibition studies revealed cross-reaction between the human skin extract and both a D. pteronyssinus extract and a cat fur extract.