The association of environmental house dust mite allergens and crustacean allergy: The Japan Environment and Children's Study (JECS)

Abstract

Background: The higher crustacean allergy prevalence in Asia than in Western regions may be due to a shrimp-mite cross-reaction. A high environmental house dust mite prevalence may lead to increased house dust mite sensitization and thereby increase the prevalence of crustacean allergy.

Objective: To determine the association between environmental house dust mite allergens and crustacean allergy in Japanese preschool children.

Methods: We used data from 4,242 mother-infant dyads who participated in the subcohort study of the Japan Environment and Children's Study, a prospective birth cohort study. A logistic regression model was used to analyze the association between house dust mite allergens in dust at 18 months and 3 years of age and crustacean allergy at the age of 4 years.

Results: The crustacean allergy prevalence was 0.4%. Greater house dust mite exposure at 18 months of age was associated with a higher prevalence of crustacean allergy, although this association was not statistically significant. However, there was no positive association between house dust mite exposure at 3 years of age and crustacean allergy.

Conclusions: No association between house dust mite allergen exposure in infancy and the risk of crustacean allergy at preschool age was apparent. Follow-up studies, including investigation of tropomyosin sensitization in schoolchildren, are required.

Keywords: Cross-reaction; crustacean allergy; house dust mite; prevalence.