ALLERGIC IMPLICATIONS OF BLA G 1 AND BLA G 2 CONCENTRATIONS IN HOUSES OF SAUDI ARABIA
SYED M. HASNAIN *
Allergy and Medical Aerobiology Section, Department of Cell Biology, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, P.O. Box 3354, Riyadh 11211, Saudi Arabia
ALANOUD AL-QASSIM
Allergy and Medical Aerobiology Section, Department of Cell Biology, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, P.O. Box 3354, Riyadh 11211, Saudi Arabia
ABDULRAHMAN AL-FRAYH
Department of Pediatric, College of Medicine, King Saud University, P.O. Box 7805, Riyadh 11472, Saudi Arabia
HUSSEIN AL-MEHDAR
Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, King Abdulaziz University, P.O. Box 80203, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
SULTAN AL-SEDAIRY
Allergy and Medical Aerobiology Section, Department of Cell Biology, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, P.O. Box 3354, Riyadh 11211, Saudi Arabia
FUTWAN AL-MOHANNA
Allergy and Medical Aerobiology Section, Department of Cell Biology, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, P.O. Box 3354, Riyadh 11211, Saudi Arabia
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Aims: As the higher cockroaches (CKRs) concentrations in houses are associated with allergic diseases, our objective was to determine the concentration levels of CKRs allergen.
Study Design: Quantitative and qualitative determinations of CKRs’ antigenic component in indoor environment of diagnosed allergic patients and non-allergic individuals.
Methodology: A total of 560 House Dust Samples (HDS) were randomly collected from patient and control houses and grouped under coastal and non-coastal regions. HDS were extracted in Phosphate Buffered Saline (PBS) and analyzed by ELISA using antibodies obtained from Indoor Biotechnologies, USA.
Results: Bla g 1 and Bla g 2, being two main allergenic components in Blattella germanica, constituted 42.3% and 35.5% respectively. Bla g 1 with 28.7% and 23.6% of Bla g 2 were present in control houses compared to 13.6% of Bla g 1 and 11.4% of Bla g 2 in patient houses. A comparison of data resulted in 7.3% of Bla g 1 and 5.3% of Bla g 2 in coastal compared to 35.3% and 29.4% in non-coastal regions. As the clinical threshold levels of both allergens are different, Bla g 2 marginally higher (2.3 µg/g) in patient than control samples (1.8 µg/g). By contrast, Bla g 1 was less prevalent in patient (1.5 U/g) compared to control houses (16.5 U/g).
Conclusion: There appear to be no major variation in the concentration levels of Bla g 1 and Bla g 2 between patients and control houses. Nevertheless, Bla g 2 was found to be marginally higher in patients’ samples.
Keywords: Cockroaches, allergic diseases, asthma