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279 - Are the cockroaches an important allergen?

Autor(s): A.T. Scacchetti, A. Carbonieri

Issue: RIMeL - IJLaM, Vol. 3, N. 4, 2007 (MAF Servizi srl ed.)

Page(s): 279-285

Background. Blatella germanica, common host of homes, could be an hidden source of allergic diseases. Usually this cockroach is associated with poor lifestyle and low socioeconomic status, but, unfortunately, it also found in districts with adequate hygienic-sanitary conditions too; the widespread nature of this cockroach must be considered as a dangerous “indoor” allergen. The aim of the study was to investigate the hypersensitivity to cockroach such as Blatella germanica in the patients who showed anamnesis with different pathologies, not exclusively respiratory syntomatologies, to prove the risk for the development of sensitization to this cockroach, which allergen is also found in house dust with adequate hygienic-sanitary conditions. Materials and methods. We investigated 148 patients (89 males and 59 females) of different age from 5 to 57 years, showing the following symptoms: asthma, rhinitis, and/or conjunctivitis, headache, dermatitis, pruritus. These patients live in rural and semirural areas, suburbs and urban residences, with or without domestic animals in the house. In these patients, we are detecting, IgE Specific against Blatella germanica and other inhalant allergens, with the diagnostics method ImmunoCap Specific IgE Sweden Diagnostics (PHADIA). It’s an in vitro test, which measures the concentration of circulating, allergen-specific IgE antibodies in human serum or plasma. IgE antibodies appear in human serum and plasma as a result of sensitization to a specific allergen and measurement of circulating IgE provides an objective measurement of the sensitization to the allergen. The study showed that 28% of our patients resulted in sensitization to Blatella germanica with levels of serum differently stratified for frequency class. The class more numerous agree with the concentration range 0.7-3.5 kUA/l. The disease most evident, correlate to concentration range, is respiratory symptom. Other inhalant common allergens resulted positive. Results and conclusions. This study has reflected the importance of Blatella germanica allergen because it represents an important risk due to the frequent presence of, and the significant diseases correlated to. This cockroach may be an important risk for the development of sensitization/elicitation symptoms, also possible cross-reactivity with mites has to be taken into consideration during the clinical evaluation of subjects with cockroach sensitization. It would be reasonable to include cockroach allergen in the routine types of inhalant specific tests to give important information about improving diagnosis and management of “indoor” allergy.

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