The mite Blomia tropicalis has significant prevalence worldwide. Blo t 5 is a major B. tropicalis allergen that
has been associated with sensitization and allergic symptoms in many asthmatic patients. Besides house dust, contaminated
foodstuffs are an important source of exposure to B. tropicalis allergens. In this study, a double sandwich enzyme-linked
immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using mAb 4D4 and biotinylated mAb 4G9 was done to detect Blo t 5 allergen in different
types of raw and processed foods, including wheat, corn, rice, bean, wheat and corn flour, cake, and rusk, which were
collected from retail stores in the Nile Delta of Egypt. Out of 88 samples, 38 (43.2%) were positive for Blo t 5 allergen with no
significant statistical difference in positivity according to food type. In positive samples, the Blo t 5 concentration ranged from
10 ng/g to 790 ng/g. This study showed that Blo t 5 should be considered as an important allergen that presents a risk to the
Egyptian population and should become a routine allergen in the skin prick test to improve themanagement of allergic disease. |
