House Dust Ingredient Linked to Allergic Asthma: Study THURSDAY
Oct. 18, 2012 -- A bacterial protein known as flagellin and
found in house dust could make allergic reactions to common
indoor allergens worse, according to a new study of both mice
and people. Researchers from the U.S. National Institute of
Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) and Duke University found
that flagellin can prime an allergic response and trigger
allergic asthma. Cleaning can reduce the amount of house dust to
prevent an allergy flare-up. "Most people with asthma have
allergic asthma, resulting largely from allergic responses to
inhaled substances," the study's corresponding author, Donald
Cook, an NIEHS scientist, said in an institute news release.
"Although flagellin is not an allergen, it can boost allergic
responses to true allergens." In conducting the study, the
researchers found that mice exposed to house dust that were able
to respond to flagellin showed symptoms of allergic asthma, such
as more mucous production and airway