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Whole Allergen

d3 Dermatophagoides microceras

d3 Dermatophagoides microceras Scientific Information

Type:

Whole Allergen

Display Name:

Dermatophagoides microceras

Route of Exposure:

Inhalation

Family:

Pyroglyphidae

Species:

Dermatophagoides microceras

Latin Name:

Dermatophagoides microceras

Other Names:

Dust mite, House dust mite

Summary

D. microceras is a part of the Pyroglyphidae family of house dust mites, which are commonly found in houses on carpets and fabric covered furniture. Sensitization to house dust mites is one of the most common causes of respiratory allergy in the world and has been consistently found to be one of the strongest associates of asthma in children, adolescents, and adults. Approximately 20% of the population in industrialized countries have a sensitization to house dust mite allergens, with D. microceras being the third most-common culprit. The main allergen responsible for D. microceras allergy is suspected to be Der m 1. 

Allergen

Nature

Dermatophagoides microceras belongs to the Pyroglyphidae family of mites. It has been identified in house dust in various geographic regions, including Great Britain, Scandinavia, The Netherlands, Spain, United States and Taiwan; however its distribution in the rest of the world has not been well explored (1, 2). In a study of the homes of allergy patients in the USA, D. microceras antigens were detected in 31% of homes (3).

In general, house dust mites are difficult to see with naked eye as their body size is approximately 100–400 μm. They are found in carpets and fabric covered furniture, in particular, in living rooms and in beds, pillows, sheets, comforters, and carpets close to the bed in bedrooms. Mite populations vary according to environmental parameters, such as temperature, humidity and rainfall. Additionally, domestic factors such as age of home, floor level, ventilation, orientation, or living habits of the occupants may influence mite populations (4). Sensitization to house dust mite (HDM) is one of the most common causes of respiratory allergy in the world and has been consistently found to be one of the strongest associates of asthma in children, adolescents, and adults (5).

Taxonomy

Taxonomic tree of Dermatophagoides (6)

Domain

Eukaryota

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Arthropoda

Subphylum

Chelicerata

Class

Arachnida

Subclass

Acari

Order

Astigmata

Family

Pyroglyphidae

Genus

Dermatophagoides

Taxonomic tree of Dermatophagoides (6)

Tissue 

Mite feces are the most relevant source of allergens (7).

Epidemiology

Worldwide distribution

Approximately 20% of the population in industrialized countries has a sensitization to house dust mite allergens (2). D. microceras was the second most common mite identified in Scandinavian dust from a variety of environments (8); it appears to be more commonly found in the Northern hemisphere, at high latitudes (9). House dust mite allergy and the importance of D. microceras were characterized in study of Swedish children between the ages of 3 and 17 (10). In another Swedish study of 111 asthmatic children, 67% of patients with IgE against house dust mites reacted to D. microceras, D. farina and D. pteronyssinus (11). In other parts of the world, 500 dust samples collected from 125 houses of allergic rhinitis and asthmatic patients living in Punjab, India, 466 (93.2%) were found to be mite positive. Of those, D. microceras was found to be the 3rd most common mite (82.4% incidence), behind D. pteronyssinus (96.8%) and D. farinae (93.6%) (4). These results are consistent with a 2006 study, which found a similar prevalence amongst allergy-causing mites in Taiwan (12).

Clinical Relevance

Mites are the sources of potent allergens that sensitize and induce IgE-mediated allergic reactions. House dust mite allergen exposure is a major risk factor for the development of persistent allergic respiratory diseases, such as asthma and allergic rhinitis, as well as symptoms such as dermatitis and urticaria (4). Despite this, specific studies of allergy due D. microceras are rarely reported (12).

A study of environmental exposures on allergen sensitization and the development of childhood allergic diseases in 3,192 children in Taiwan, mite sensitization was associated with significant increases in the risks of atopic dermatitis, allergic rhinitis and asthma (13). A study of house dust mite sensitization in Sweden, including D. microceras species, reported that in children sensitized to house dust mites (n=53) vs. non-house dust mite-sensitized atopic children (n=54), asthma was significantly more common in the house dust mite-sensitized group. House dust mite allergens were found in 40% and 19% of the dust samples of the sensitized group and atopic group, respectively (10).

Prevention and Therapy

Prevention strategies 

Several dust mite avoidance measures have been proposed, including mattress and pillow encasings, high efficiency particulate air filtration vacuum cleaners, air purification, acaricides, humidity control, and physical removal of mite reservoirs. The most common strategies that have been used to control domestic allergen exposure are physical barriers such as covers for pillows, duvet, and mattresses (5).

Molecular Aspects

Allergenic molecules

Studies have shown that there are at least 30 proteins in house mite extracts that can elicit sensitization and IgE reactivity. These allergens have been subdivided into a number of groups, of which groups 1 and 2 appear to be responsible for most of the sensitization (14). The main allergen responsible for D. microceras allergy is Der m 1, a protease (Allergome.org); this molecule can reach a concentration of 2mg per gram of dust analyzed (10). In central Taiwan it was shown to have a sensitization prevalence of approximately 80%. This allergen significantly increased hyper-responsiveness, lung inflammation, neutrophil infiltration, and IL-6 secretion in mice after nasal application (2). In Sweden, Der m 1 was  found to be the second most-common mite allergen (31%), after Der f 1 and before Der p 1; in one specific region, it represented the allergen most commonly found (58%) (11).

Table adapted from Allergome.org (15)

Allergen

Type

Mass (kDa)

Der m 1

Cysteine protease

3.3

Allergen

Type

Mass (kDa)

Cross-reactivity

A degree of cross-reactivity between allergens of Pyroglypidae mite species has been shown. Using inhibition experiments, scientists showed that the N-terminus of the D. siboney allergens Der s 1, -2 and -3 share higher homologies with allergens of D. microceras and D. farinae compared to D. pteronyssinus (16). In another study which used sera of mite-sensitized patients, the results showed that 21 of 29 IgE binding protein bands were shared by 5 mite species, suggesting that human IgE may preferentially bind to cross reactive epitopes (17). A homolog of the D. pteronyssinus antigen Der p 42 was identified in cultures of D. microceras and D. farinae. Antibody binding experiments also showed that the D. microceras and D. farinae antigens shared an epitope (18). Additionally, there is evidence suggesting that D. microceras allergens are cross reactive with galacto-oligosaccharides, a milk supplement, possibly causing allergic reactions and anaphylactic responses (19).

Compiled By

Author: RubyDuke Communications

Reviewer: Dr. Christian  Fischer 

 

Last reviewed: May 2022

References
  1. Sarwar MH. House Dust Mites: Ecology, Biology, Prevalence, Epidemiology and Elimination. Parasitology and Microbiology Research. 2020.
  2. Chang YC, Hsiao YM, Hung SC, Chen YW, Ou CC, Chang WT, et al. Alleviation of Dermatophagoides microceras-induced allergy by an immunomodulatory protein, FIP-fve, from Flammulina velutipes in mice. Biosci Biotechnol Biochem. 2015;79(1):88-96.
  3. Wood RA, Eggleston PA, Lind P, Ingemann L, Schwartz B, Graveson S, et al. Antigenic analysis of household dust samples. Am Rev Respir Dis. 1988;137(2):358-63.
  4. Gill NK, Dhaliwal AK. Seasonal Variation of Allergenic Acarofauna From the Homes of Allergic Rhinitis and Asthmatic Patients. J Med Entomol. 2018;55(2):262-8.
  5. Zuiani C, Custovic A. Update on House Dust Mite Allergen Avoidance Measures for Asthma. Curr Allergy Asthma Rep. 2020;20(9):50.
  6. NCBI. Dermatophagoides microceras 2021 [cited 2021 24.11.21]. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/Taxonomy/Browser/wwwtax.cgi?id=0006955.
  7. Erban T, Rybanska D, Harant K, Hortova B, Hubert J. Feces Derived Allergens of Tyrophagus putrescentiae Reared on Dried Dog Food and Evidence of the Strong Nutritional Interaction between the Mite and Bacillus cereus Producing Protease Bacillolysins and Exo-chitinases. Frontiers in Physiology. 2016;7.
  8. Mehl R. Occurrence of mites in Norway and the rest of Scandinavia. Allergy. 1998;53(s48):28-35.
  9. Calderón MA, Linneberg A, Kleine-Tebbe J, De Blay F, Hernandez Fernandez de Rojas D, Virchow JC, et al. Respiratory allergy caused by house dust mites: What do we really know? J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2015;136(1):38-48.
  10. Wickman M, Nordvall SL, Pershagen G, Sundell J, Schwartz B. House dust mite sensitization in children and residential characteristics in a temperate region. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. 1991;88(1):89-95.
  11. Warner A, Boström S, Munir AK, Möller C, Schou C, Kjellman NI. Environmental assessment of Dermatophagoides mite-allergen levels in Sweden should include Der m 1. Allergy. 1998;53(7):698-704.
  12. Huang HW, Lue KH, Wong RH, Sun HL, Sheu JN, Lu KH. Distribution of allergens in children with different atopic disorders in central Taiwan. Acta Paediatr Taiwan. 2006;47(3):127-34.
  13. Huang CF, Chie WC, Wang IJ. Effect of environmental exposures on allergen sensitization and the development of childhood allergic diseases: A large-scale population-based study. World Allergy Organ J. 2021;14(1):100495.
  14. Thomas WR, Smith WA, Hales BJ, Mills KL, O’Brien RM. Characterization and Immunobiology of House Dust Mite Allergens. International Archives of Allergy and Immunology. 2002;129(1):1-18.
  15. Allergome. Dermatophagoides microceras (house dust mite) 2021 [cited 2021 22.11.21]. Available from: http://www.allergome.org/script/search_step2.php.
  16. Ferrándiz R, Casas R, Dreborg S. Cross–Reactivity between Dermatophagoides siboney and Other Domestic Mites. International Archives of Allergy and Immunology. 1998;116(3):206-14.
  17. HILL MR, NEWTON MR, HART BJ. Comparative IgE responses to extracts of five species of house dust mite, using Western blotting. Clinical & Experimental Allergy. 1993;23(2):110-6.
  18. Lind P. Demonstration of Close Physicochemical Similarity and Partial Immunochemical Identity between the Major Allergen, Dp42, of the House Dust Mite, <i>D. pteronyssinus</i> and Corresponding Antigens of <i>D. farinae</i> (Of 6) and <i>D. microceras</i> (Dm6). International Archives of Allergy and Immunology. 1986;79(1):60-5.
  19. Lee LYGN, Zhong Y, Leow SY, Lim SC, Wen H, Soh JY, et al. Allergy to prebiotic galacto-oligosaccharides: House dust mites the putative primary sensitizer. The Journal of allergy and clinical immunology. 2019.