Study uncovers molecular origins of house dust mite allergy

BERLIN, Oct. 25 (UPI) -- An international research team in Europe has identified the molecular origins of the allergy to house dust mites.

The research team was comprised of scientists from The Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, the Medical University of Vienna, and statisticians from Italy. According to the study's authors, allergic reactions to dust mites begin at the molecular level, and can strengthen over time into much more severe disorders.

"Mite allergy develops in childhood like an avalanche. It starts early with only one or a very few molecules and then grows to many," first author Daniela Posa said in a press release. "The greater the spreading of molecular sensitization, the highest the risk of developing asthma."

Investigators examined blood samples collected over a 20-year period from a cohort of 722 German children born in 1990. Their findings were published in The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.

Scientists used engineered molecules of the mite Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus alongside nanotechnology procedures to trace the origins of the antibody response during the first decade of the children's lives. By using this method, the research team found that IgE-antibodies against three dust mite molecules appeared early on in childhood, often before the disease developed. Children who continued to produce the molecule were more at risk of developing allergic rhinitis and asthma.

Researchers say their findings provide a deeper understanding on how house dust mite allergies form, and may provide clues for how to develop more effective methods for predicting and preventing the diseases associated with it.