The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology
Volume 118, Issue 3 , Pages 674-681, September 2006

Cat allergen level: Its determinants and relationship to specific IgE to cat across European centers

  • Joachim Heinrich, PhD

      Affiliations

    • From the GSF, National Research Center for Environment and Health, Institute of Epidemiology, Neuherberg
    • Corresponding Author InformationReprint requests: Joachim Heinrich, PhD, GSF–Institute of Epidemiology, PO Box 1129, D-85758 Neuherberg, Germany.
    • ,
  • Getahun Bero Bedada, MD

      Affiliations

    • From the GSF, National Research Center for Environment and Health, Institute of Epidemiology, Neuherberg
    • ,
  • Jan-Paul Zock, PhD

      Affiliations

    • Center for Research in Environmental Epidemiology, Municipal Institute of Medical Research Barcelona
    • ,
  • Susan Chinn, DSc

      Affiliations

    • Department of Public Health Sciences, King's College London
    • ,
  • Dan Norbäck, PhD

      Affiliations

    • Department of Medical Science/Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Uppsala University
    • ,
  • Mario Olivieri, MD

      Affiliations

    • Department of Medicine and Public Health, Unit of Occupational Medicine, University of Verona
    • ,
  • Cecilie Svanes, MD, PhD

      Affiliations

    • Department of Thoracic Medicine, Haukeland Hospital, Bergen
    • ,
  • Michela Ponzio, PhD

      Affiliations

    • Department of Health Sciences, Section of Epidemiology and Medical Statistics, University of Pavia
    • ,
  • Giuseppe Verlato, MD

      Affiliations

    • Department of Medicine and Public Health, Unit of Epidemiology and Medical Statistics, University of Verona
    • ,
  • Simona Villani, PhD

      Affiliations

    • Department of Health Sciences, Section of Epidemiology and Medical Statistics, University of Pavia
    • ,
  • Deborah Jarvis, MD

      Affiliations

    • Department of Public Health Sciences, King's College London
    • Department of Respiratory Epidemiology and Public Health, National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London
    • ,
  • Christina Luczynska, PhD

      Affiliations

    • Department of Public Health Sciences, King's College London
    • Deceased.
    • ,
  • for the Indoor Working Group of the European Community Respiratory Health Survey II

Received 27 December 2005; received in revised form 6 June 2006; accepted 13 June 2006. published online 25 July 2006.

Neuherberg, Germany, Barcelona, Spain, London, United Kingdom, Uppsala, Sweden, Verona and Pavia, Italy, and Bergen, Norway

Background

Cat allergen level in settled house dust and its determinants in Europe are unknown.

Objective

The aim of this study is to quantify the level of cat allergens in mattress dust, to study its determinants, and to analyze the relationship with cat specific IgE on community level across European centers.

Methods

Trained field workers collected dust from approximately 3000 mattresses during home visits in 22 European Community Respiratory Health Survey II centers. Sieved dust extracts were assayed for cat allergen using a mAb ELISA assay.

Results

The overall geometric mean cat allergen was 0.94 μg/g, ranging from 0.12 μg/g in Huelva, Spain, to 3.76 μg/g in Antwerp, Belgium. Current cat owners' homes showed substantially higher levels than past cat owners' and never cat owners' homes (geometric mean and 95% CI, 61.4 μg/g [48.4-77.9] vs 1.37 μg/g [0.97-1.9] vs 0.29 μg/g [0.27-0.31]). Community prevalence of cat ownership was moderately correlated with cat allergen levels in noncat owners (rs = 0.50), but not for past or current cat owners. The multilevel model identified community prevalence of cat keeping as the only statistically significant determinant of mattress cat allergen levels for noncat owners. However, averaged cat allergen levels per center were not related to community prevalence of detectable specific IgE to cat.

Conclusion

Not having a cat in the home is associated with substantially lower Fel d 1 concentration, but does not protect against high Fel d 1 exposure in communities where cat ownership is common.

Clinical implications

People (including patients with cat allergy) who do not own cats may be exposed to high levels of cat allergen in their home, particularly if they live in communities with high levels of cat ownership.

Key words: Cat allergen, Fel d 1, cat, mattress dust, indoor exposure, cat allergy, specific IgE to cat, ECRHS

Abbreviations used: ECRHS, European Community Respiratory Health Survey, GM, Geometric mean, LOD, Level of detection

 

 Support information given in this article's Online Repository at www.jacionline.org.Disclosure of potential conflict of interest: The authors have declared that they have no conflict of interest.

PII: S0091-6749(06)01364-9

doi:10.1016/j.jaci.2006.06.012

The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology
Volume 118, Issue 3 , Pages 674-681, September 2006

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