In this section
@article{Hudson:1997,
author = {Hudson, TF and Custovic, A and Simpson, A and Green, RM and Woodcock, A},
journal = {Thorax},
title = {Allergen avoidance with dog in situ: Washing the dog reduces allergen levels, but only for two days},
volume = {52},
year = {1997}
}
TY - JOUR
AB - The best way to reduce exposure to cat or dog allergen in sensitised asthmatics is to remove the animal from their home. However, despite continued symptoms, many cat and/or dog allergic patients insist on keeping their pet. Several studies have investigated the effect of washing the cat on Fel d 1 level, some of them showing that large quantities of allergen can be removed from cats by immersion in tap water ( J Allergy Clin Immunol 1995; 95: 262). This study investigated the effect of washing the dog on the subsequent recovery of Can f 1 from dog hair clippings over a one-week period. Sixteen dogs, which had not been washed for at least the previous 3 weeks, were washed in the family bath/shower unit for 5 minutes, using a hand-held shower and proprietary shampoo. Each dog had a small tuft of hair clipped from the collar or spinal area prior to washing, and then daily for the next 7 days. One hundred mg of dog hair was extracted with 3 mls of bovine serum albumin in phosphate-buffered saline. The samples were agitated using a vortex mixer, then mixed end over end on an orbital rotator for 2 hours at room temperature before being centrifuged for 30 minutes at 3,000 RPM at 4°C. Can f 1 level was measured using a two site monoclonal/polyclonal ELISA. Data did not follow the Normal distribution, and were thus analysed using Friedman's Two-Way ANOVA. There was a highly significant reduction in Can f 1 level over the observed 8-day period (χ<sup>2</sup> = 41.83, D.F. = 7, p<0.00001). Using a multiple comparison test for non-parametric data it was found that the observed significance was due to the difference between the baseline levels and those on days 1 and 2 after washing. There was no difference in the recovered Can f 1 at baseline compared to days 3-7. In conclusion, washing the dog reduces Can f 1 levels in dog hair, but the dogs probably need to be washed 2-3 times per week if the effect is to be sustained.
AU - Hudson,TF
AU - Custovic,A
AU - Simpson,A
AU - Green,RM
AU - Woodcock,A
PY - 1997///
SN - 0040-6376
TI - Allergen avoidance with dog in situ: Washing the dog reduces allergen levels, but only for two days
T2 - Thorax
VL - 52
ER -