Abstract
Subjects comprised 20 children with bronchial asthma who displayed positive levels of house dust (HD)-IgE. These children were randomly divided into two groups: active group (n = 10), who used HD mite (HDM)-free pillows for 1 year; and placebo group (n = 10), who used new common pillows with HDM-permeable fabrics. No difference was seen between groups in regard to detection of fungi on surfaces of pillows and bedding. Fungi were detected inside one pillow in the active group and six pillows in the placebo group, representing a significant difference (p = 0.029). Significant differences were also seen in detection of HDM allergen Der1 between groups. Asthma symptoms did not differ between active and placebo groups. In addition, no significant differences were seen in changes to HD-IgE or Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus-IgE levels between groups. However, among children with high HD-IgE levels (≥50 UA/mL) before the study, HD-IgE levels had decreased after the 12-month study in all six subjects in the active group (p = 0.030; paired t-test) and in four of seven subjects in the placebo group (p = 0.481; paired t-test). Few subjects displayed detectable levels of IgE specific for a combination of fungi. These results show that HDM-free pillows affect HD-IgE levels but not the clinical course of asthma.