House-Dust Mite Allergy and Eosinophilia in Patients with Asthma in Rangoon (Yangon)

Abstract

Skin tests were done by prick and intradermal techniques, using house dust mite (Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus) antigen on 35 patients with early onset asthma, 33 with late onset asthma, 43 with asthma and frequent cough with sputum production (chronic bronchitis) and 30 control subjects. Absolute blood eosinophil and sputum eosinophil (as percentage of leukocytes) counts were performed on each patient. Positive skin tests to house dust mite antigens were significantly more frequent in each of the patient groups (35–75%) than in control subjects (0%), but were not significantly different among the three groups of asthmatics. All three groups of asthmatics had significantly higher mean blood absolute eosinophil counts and sputum eosinophil counts than control subjects, eosinophilia being most frequent in patients with early onset asthma. These findings suggest the importance of exposure to house dust mite antigens in the development of asthma in patients in Rangoon (Yangon), Burma (Myanmar).