Assessing the efficacy of a novel temperature and humidity control machine to minimize house dust mite allergen exposure and clinical symptoms in allergic rhinitis children sensitized to dust mites: a pilot study.

BACKGROUND House dust mite avoidance is advised in dust mite sensitized patients to decrease the risk to develop allergic symptoms. Maintaining a relative humidity (RH) of less than 50% in households is recommended to prevent dust mite proliferation. OBJECTIVE To investigate the efficacy of a novel temperature and humidity machine to control the level of dust mite allergens and total nasal symptom score (TNSS) in dust mite sensitized allergic rhinitis children. METHOD Children (8-15 years) with dust mite sensitized persistent allergic rhinitis (AR) were enrolled. The temperature and humidity control machine was installed in the bedroom where the enrolled children stayed for 6 months. TNSS was assessed before and every month after machine set up and the level of dust mite allergen (Der p 1 and Der f 1) from the mattress were measured before and every 2 months after machine set up using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). RESULTS A total of 7 children were enrolled. Noticeable reduction of Der f 1 was observed as early as 2 months after installing the machine, but proper significant differences appeared 4 months after and remained low until the end of the experiment (p <0.05). Although no correlation was observed between TNSS and the level of dust mite allergens, there was a significant reduction in TNSS at 2 and 4 months (p <0.05) and 70% of the patients were able to stop using their intranasal corticosteroids by the end of the experiment. CONCLUSIONS The level of house dust mite in mattresses was significantly reduced after using the temperature and humidity control machine. This machine may be used as an effective tool to control clinical symptoms of dust mite sensitized AR children.