Allergen avoidance in the homes of atopic asthmatic children: the effect of Allersearch DMS.

Allersearch DMS (an alcohol based purified benzyltannate complex) is an acaricide with allergen denaturing properties. The living rooms in the homes of 16 atopic asthmatic children were thoroughly cleaned and treated with Allersearch DMS and the effect on allergen concentrations in carpet and soft-furnishing dusts was determined. The skin-test reactivity of the children to their own dust, collected before and after treatment, was compared. In 13 of the 16 homes the concentration of major house dust mite allergen Der p I was reduced in the carpet dust after treatment (P < 0.001) and in 11 homes major cat allergen Fel d I was reduced (P = 0.03). Changes in allergen concentrations in soft-furnishing dusts were not significant. Control homes, which were cleaned but not treated, showed no significant difference in allergen concentrations. There were highly significant reductions in skin-test reactivity to both types of dust after treatment (P < 0.004, P < 0.008) suggesting an effect of the compound on allergens other than those individually monitored. The change in skin-test response to soft-furnishing correlated significantly (P < 0.05) with the number of individual sensitivities detected in each child. Controlled clinical trials of the effect of Allersearch DMS as part of an allergen avoidance study are now necessary.