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PubMed2003

Cockroach allergen exposure and sensitization in suburban middle-class children with asthma.

BACKGROUND: Exposure to cockroach allergen is prevalent in inner-city homes and is associated with an increased risk of cockroach sensitization. OBJECTIVE: We sought to determine the prevalence of cockroach allergen exposure in suburban middle-class homes and to study its relationship to cockroach sensitization. METHODS: Children with asthma, 6 to 17 years of age, were recruited from 3 pediatric practices located in counties surrounding Baltimore city and from 1 practice located within Baltimore city limits. Participants underwent skin prick testing and completed baseline questionnaires. In addition, their homes were inspected, and settled dust samples were collected for allergen analysis. RESULTS: Forty-one percent of the total study population (n = 339) had kitchen Bla g 1 levels of greater than 1 U/g. Forty-nine percent were white, 53% had annual incomes of greater than US dollars 50000, and 48% of mothers had college degrees. Seventy-seven percent of the study population resided in a suburban or rural location, and 30% of kitchens in these homes had Bla g 1 levels of greater than 1 U/g. Among the suburban-rural subgroup, 21% were sensitized to cockroach compared with 35% of the city group. In multivariate analysis, exposure to kitchen Bla g 1 levels of greater than 1 U/g was associated with cockroach sensitization for both the total study population (odds ratio, 2.29; 95% CI, 1.28-4.11) and the suburban-rural subgroup (odds ratio, 2.37; 95% CI, 1.23-4.57). CONCLUSIONS: Cockroach allergen exposure might be more common in suburban middle-class homes of asthmatic children than previously thought. Moreover, the data suggest that low-level cockroach exposure is a risk factor for cockroach sensitization.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1992

Strain differences in the response of German cockroaches (Dictyoptera: Blattellidae) to emulsifiable concentrates.

The response of a susceptible and two pyrethroid-resistant field strains of the German cockroach, Blattella germanica, to four emulsifiable concentrates (ECs)--Tempo (cyfluthrin), Demon (cypermethrin), Dursban (chlorpyrifos) LO, and XRM 5184 (chlorpyrifos)--was investigated. Application rates were 0.4, 0.1, 0.5, and 0.5%, respectively. Susceptible cockroaches avoided dried formulations of the pyrethroids Tempo and Demon, but resistant cockroaches did not; avoidance was greater with Demon than with Tempo. Filter papers freshly impregnated (wet) with Demon and Tempo flushed susceptible cockroaches (Demon greater than Tempo). Resistant cockroaches were flushed only by Demon, but less so than susceptible strain cockroaches. No mortality occurred in experiments with the pyrethroids. Dried formulations of Dursban LO and XRM 5184 had little, if any, repellency to nymphs of either the susceptible or resistant strains. Initially (1-3 h), most cockroaches settled on treated papers. Subsequent movement off treated papers was a step in the process leading to knockdown. At 24 h, mortality of susceptible cockroaches was 100% in the experiment with Dursban LO and 95% in the experiment with XRM 5184. Highest mortality in a resistant strain (40%) was in the contact experiment with Dursban LO. In contact repellency and flushing experiments, mortality was higher with Dursban LO than with XRM 5184. Neither chlorpyrifos formulation flushed cockroaches effectively. Mortality in flushing experiments was less than in the contact repellency experiments.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

Allergy to cockroaches in patients with asthma and rhinitis in an urban area (Madrid).

Previous studies have established that cockroach allergens are important sensitizing agents in the induction of rhinitis and asthma principally in urban areas. This study was undertaken to assess skin test reactivity and specific IgE antibody reactivity to extracts of Periplaneta americana (P.a.), Blattella germanica (B.g.), B. orientalis (B.o.), and a fecal extract of B. germanica (FEB.g.) in a group of patients with rhinitis and asthma living in an urban area in Europe. We examined clinical characteristics and aerollergen sensitivities of 171 consecutive Madrid urban patients with rhinitis and asthma who met the criteria for the study. A comprehensive clinical evaluation was followed by skin prick test with common allergens and saline extracts of P.a., B.g., B.o., and FEB.g. and measurement of serum specific IgE antibody to cockroach extracts. The age of patients ranged from 7 to 68 years (mean 20.4 +/- 16). A total of 153 (90.5%) subjects were atopic and 19 (10%) were considered nonallergic. Pollen sensitivity (66.5%) was most prevalent, distantly followed by sensitivity to cockroach (25.7%), mite (20%), cat (15.5%), Alternaria alternata (14.5%), dog (14%), and food (2%). Skin test reactivity to cockroach extracts was 37 (21.6%) to B.o., 20 (11.6%) to P.a., 19 (11.1%) to B.g. and five (2.9%) to FEB.g. Twenty-one of these patients had rhinitis, 19 rhinitis and asthma, and one only asthma; 26 had perennial symptoms, while 16 had seasonal (spring) symptoms; three (1.7%) patients had only positive prick test to cockroach; all had perennial rhinitis and/or asthma. Eighteen (10.5%) patients had specific serum IgE (RAST 1 or 2) to B.o., 13 (7.6%) to P.a., and six (3.5%) to B.g. Eighty (46.7%) patients had visual evidence of cockroach infestation in their home, mostly B.o.; 31 had positive prick test to cockroach (P < 0.0003). The results indicate that sensitivity to outdoor allergens (pollen) is more prevalent than to indoor allergens. Cockroach sensitization is the most important indoor allergen in our area, and B.o. accounts for most cockroach sensitization.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2005

Mouse and cockroach allergens in the dust and air in northeastern United States inner-city public high schools.

UNLABELLED: Considering that high school students spend a large proportion of their waking hours in the school environment, this could be an important location for exposure to indoor allergens. We have investigated the levels of mouse and cockroach allergens in the settled dust and air from 11 schools in a major northeastern US city. Settled dust samples were vacuumed from 87 classrooms, three times throughout the school year. Two separate air samples (flow = 2.5 lpm) were collected by 53 students over a 5-day period from both their school and their home. Mouse allergen (MUP) in the dust varied greatly between schools with geometric means ranging from 0.21 to 133 microg/g. Mouse allergen was detectable in 81% of the samples collected. Cockroach allergen (Bla g 2) ranged from below limit of detection (<0.003 microg/g) to 1.1 microg/g. Cockroach allergen was detected (>0.003 microg/g) in 71% of the dust samples. Bla g 2 was detected in 22% of airborne samples from the schools. By comparison, mouse allergen was only detected in 5%. These results indicate that the school may be an important location for exposure to allergens from mice and cockroaches and is an indoor environment that should be considered in an overall allergen intervention strategy. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: To date, cockroach and mouse allergen intervention strategies have been mainly focused on the home environment. Considering that children spend a significant amount of time in schools, some studies have assessed cockroach allergen levels in schools. This study provides a clearer picture of the distribution and variability of not only cockroach allergen, but also mouse allergen in the school environment. In addition, this study describes limitations of personal air sampling in a student population. Our results suggest that although cockroach and mouse allergens are commonly recovered in classroom dust samples of inner city schools, cockroach allergens are recovered in the personal air samples with a greater frequency relative to mouse allergens.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2007

Cockroach allergen biology and mitigation in the indoor environment.

For nearly a half century, cockroaches have been recognized as a major cause of asthma morbidity in the urban, inner-city environment. Several cockroach-produced allergens have been identified and characterized, and a few have been produced as recombinant proteins. Recent research has moved beyond clinical, patient-based investigations to a more entomological perspective that addresses the production, physiological regulation, and developmental expression of cockroach allergens, thus providing insight into their functional biology and their relationship to current cockroach control strategies. Although successful removal of cockroach allergens from the infested environment has been difficult to accomplish with remedial sanitation, large-scale reductions in cockroach allergens below clinically relevant thresholds have recently been realized through suppression of cockroach populations. Here we review the current understanding of cockroach allergen biology and the demographics associated with human exposure and sensitization. We also critically evaluate allergen mitigation studies from an entomological perspective, highlighting disparities between successful and failed attempts to lessen the cockroach allergen burden in homes.

Air Pollution, Indoor↗
PubMed1992

Characteristics and diagnoses of cockroach-sensitive bronchial asthma.

Bronchial asthma with cockroach hypersensitivity is prevalent among urban asthmatic populations. To elucidate characteristics of cockroach asthma, we analyzed 592 consecutive urban Chicago asthmatic patients retrospectively. Allergy skin testing (AST) with common inhalants, serum total IgE, and cockroach-specific IgE (IgE-CR) antibodies were measured. Some cockroach asthmatics were studied further for bronchial reactivity in vivo and histamine releasability (HR) in vitro against cockroach allergen (CRa), and diagnostic accuracy for asthma was analyzed. Clinical characteristics were evaluated and compared with those of ragweed asthmatics and asthmatics in general. Two hundred eighty-three (196 women, 87 men) were reactive to CRa by AST. The average age and duration of cockroach asthma were 30.4 and 15.1 years, respectively. Steroid dependency of the cockroach asthma was higher (32%) than those of general asthmatics (P less than .05) and ragweed asthma (P less than .05). IgE level was elevated (geometric mean 413.2 IU/mL), higher than that of general asthmatics (P less than .001), and 87% showed IgE level higher than 100 IU/mL. IgE-CR and BPT-CR were positive in 61% (175 tested) and in 87% (166 tested), respectively. Sensitivity and specificity of skin test were 99% and 40%, while those of IgE-CR were 91% and 58%, respectively. IgE-CR increased probability of cockroach asthma from 87% to 91%. BPT with CRa was correlated well with the HR of leukocytes (P less than .0001). Thus, cockroach asthma is a severe allergic asthma and can be diagnosed accurately by skin test plus BPT or skin test plus HR.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1991

Skin test reactivity to whole body and fecal extracts of American (Periplaneta americana) and German (Blatella germanica) cockroaches in atopic asthmatics.

Forty-six atopic asthmatic subjects aged 3 to 58 years attending the allergy clinic of a university hospital were evaluated for prick skin test reactivity with commercially available extracts of cockroach (CCE) and house dust (HD). Additionally, skin testing was performed with American cockroach whole body (AWBE) and fecal extracts (AFE) as well as German cockroach whole body (GWBE) and fecal extracts (GFE) prepared in our laboratory. Commercial cockroach extract was prepared from American, German, and Oriental cockroach whole bodies. Skin test reactivity to the different extracts were as follows: 83% to HD, 70% to CCE, 70% to AWBE and/or GWBE, 63% to AWBE, 57% to GWBE, 63% to AFE and/or GFE, 52% to AFE, 50% to GFE, 48% to both AWBE and GWBE, and 39% to both AFE and GFE. The subjects with positive skin tests to AWBE and/or GWBE (70%) were the same individuals who showed skin test reactivity to CCE (70%). Subjects from lower income families (less than $10,000) had a significantly higher skin test reactivity to cockroach allergens than those from families with an annual income of $11,000 to $24,000 (P = .04). These results demonstrate the significance of cockroach sensitization in atopic asthmatics, suggest the importance of fecal cockroach allergens, and support earlier observations of shared interspecies allergens between American and German cockroach whole bodies.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Sensitization to cockroach allergens in a sample from the urban population living in Naples (southern Italy).

The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of allergic sensitization to cockroach allergens in a group of atopic patients living in the urban area of Naples. Four hundred and fourteen consecutive patients were submitted to the following diagnostic procedures: anamnestic data; clinical examination; and skin prick test by using a standardized pricker and allergenic extracts, one of which contained a mix of whole bodies of Blattella orientatis, Blattella germanica and Periplaneta americana. The evaluation of cockroach serum specific IgE antibodies was carried out in the 19 patients (4.58%) who showed a positive skin prick test to cockroach allergens. The majority of cockroach sensitive individuals were males and exhibited perennial respiratory symptoms; 17 of these patients were also sensitized to Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus allergens. The results of our study demonstrated that the prevalence of cockroach sensitization as determined by skin prick test in our urban area (Naples) is lower in comparison to other European studies. Up to now, it is not clear if the association between cockroach-D. pteronyssinus sensitization can be determined by a cross-reactivity between the allergens or by their coexistence in the same indoor environments. Considering the absence of a visual presence of cockroaches in the indoor environments of our cockroach-sensitive patients we suggest the possibility of unrecognized exposure to cockroach materials and, moreover, the possibility of the carrying of such allergens from infested places on clothing, as we demonstrated for Fel d I.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2004

Cost and efficacy comparison of integrated pest management strategies with monthly spray insecticide applications for German cockroach (Dictyoptera: Blattellidae) control in public housing.

The long-term costs and efficacy of two treatment methodologies for German cockroach, Blattella germanica (L.), control were compared in the public housing environment. The "traditional" treatment for German cockroaches consisted of monthly baseboard and crack and crevice treatment (TBCC) by using spray and dust formulation insecticides. The integrated pest management treatment (IPM) involved initial vacuuming of apartments followed by monthly or quarterly applications of baits and insect growth regulator (IGR) devices. Cockroach populations in the IPM treatment were also monitored with sticky traps. Technician time and the amount of product applied were used to measure cost in both treatments. Twenty-four hour sticky trap catch was used as an indicator of treatment efficacy. The cost of the IPM treatment was found to be significantly greater than the traditional treatment, particularly at the initiation of the test. In the first month (clean-out), the average cost per apartment unit was dollar 14.60, whereas the average cost of a TBCC unit was dollar 2.75. In the second month of treatment, the average cost of IPM was still significantly greater than the TBCC cost. However, after month 4 the cost of the two treatments was no longer significantly different because many of the IPM apartments were moved to a quarterly treatment schedule. To evaluate the long-term costs of the two treatments over the entire year, technician time and product quantities were averaged over all units treated within the 12-mo test period (total 600 U per treatment). The average per unit cost of the IPM treatment was (dollar 4.06). The average IPM cost was significantly greater than that of the TBCC treatment at dollar 1.50 per unit. Although the TBCC was significantly less expensive than the IPM treatment, it was also less effective. Trap catch data indicated that the TBCC treatment had little, if any, effect on the cockroach populations over the course of the year. Cockroach populations in the TBCC treatment remained steady for the first 5 mo of the test and then had a threefold increase during the summer. Cockroach populations in the IPM treatment were significantly reduced from an average of 24.7 cockroaches per unit before treatment to an average 3.9 cockroaches per unit in month 4. The suppressed cockroach populations (< 5 per unit) in the IPM treatment remained constant for the remaining 8 mo of the test.

Animals↗
PubMed2004

German cockroach proteases regulate interleukin-8 expression via nuclear factor for interleukin-6 in human bronchial epithelial cells.

German cockroach extract synergistically regulates tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha)-induced interleukin (IL)-8 expression in human airway epithelial cells. The IL-8 promoter contains nuclear factor (NF)-kappaB, activating protein (AP)-1, and NF for IL-6 (NF-IL6) transcription factor binding regions. Because cockroach extract activates extracellular regulated kinase (ERK), a known activator of AP-1 and NF-IL6, we focused on the regulation of these transcription factors. Although TNF-alpha and cockroach extract both increased AP-1 translocation, mutation of the AP-1 site in the context of the wild-type promoter had no effect on cockroach extract-induced synergy. Mutation of the NF-IL6 site in the context of the wild-type IL-8 promoter, or overexpression of a dominant-negative NF-IL6 mutant, each abolished cockroach extract-induced synergy. Cockroach extract induced NF-IL6 translocation and DNA binding, an effect that was further increased in the presence of TNF-alpha. Cockroach extract-induced regulation of NF-IL6 was due to active serine proteases in the extract as well as activation of protease activated receptor (PAR)-2, but not PAR-1. Chemical inhibition of ERK also attenuated cockroach extract-induced NF-IL6-DNA binding. We conclude that proteases in German cockroach extract regulate PAR-2 and ERK to increase NF-IL6 activity and synergistically regulate TNF-alpha-induced IL-8 promoter activity in human airway epithelium.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

Identification and characterization of important cockroach allergens.

Allergens extracted from American and German cockroach species have been identified as significant sensitizing agents in the induction/exacerbation of asthma. In the present study, gel-filtration fractions of saline extracts of American cockroach (Periplaneta americana) whole bodies (AWBE fraction 2) and German cockroach (Blattella germanica) whole bodies (GWBE fraction 2) were used to identify and characterize important cockroach allergens by immunoprinting. In addition, allergens from AWBE and GWBE fractions 2 were additionally fractionated by chromatofocusing on polybuffer exchanger. Immunoprinting studies demonstrated several important acidic allergens in cockroach whole body extracts. All but one allergen had an acid isoelectric point (pH 2.80 to 5.20). Two allergens, one that focused at pH 3.50 and another allergen (or group of isoallergens) that focused between pH 4.15 to 4.55 were reactive with most sera obtained from cockroach-sensitive subjects. Chromatofocusing and subsequent skin test and RAST studies of AWBE and GWBE confirmed the presence of significant cockroach allergens with isoelectric points within the zone of pH 3.75 to 4.50. RAST-inhibition studies demonstrated the similarity of these allergens between AWBE and GWBE. Collectively, these observations identify the presence of several acidic cockroach allergens presumably shared between AWBE and GWBE.

Allergens↗
PubMed2001

Cockroach allergen abatement with extermination and sodium hypochlorite cleaning in inner-city homes.

BACKGROUND: Although the importance of cockroach allergen in chronic asthma has now been well defined, little progress has been made in the control of cockroach allergen in infested homes. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to examine the ability of a combination of professional pest extermination and household cleaning using a solution of sodium hypochlorite to reduce cockroach infestation and allergen levels in cockroach infested homes. METHODS: Seventeen cockroach-infested homes were studied with three homes serving as controls. In the intervention homes, a professional exterminator applied 0.05% abamectin twice at 2-week intervals at study entry and a professional cleaner cleaned the homes before and after the extermination. All washable surfaces were cleaned throughout the study with a solution of 0.5% hypochlorite. Monthly home visits were conducted to inspect the home, interview the homeowner, place passive cockroach traps, and to collect settled dust samples from the kitchen, bedroom, and TV/living room. RESULTS: The number of cockroaches in the passive traps decreased rapidly after the initial intervention in most homes. Median Blatella germanica allergen 1 levels in the settled dust samples fell by 91% in the kitchen, 78% in the bedroom, and 77% in the living room over the course of the study in the intervention homes but gradually rose in the control homes. The overall reductions were very similar to those seen in a previous study with a similar protocol except for the use of the sodium hypochlorite. CONCLUSIONS: Successful extermination is possible in most inner-city homes and cockroach allergen levels can be reduced by 80% to 90%. However, 0.5% sodium hypochlorite did not seem to improve allergen reduction, and in many homes, allergen levels remained above the proposed threshold of 8 U/g of dust throughout the study.

Air Pollution, Indoor↗
PubMed2001

Cockroach allergy appears early in life in inner-city children with recurrent wheezing.

BACKGROUND: Cockroach allergy and exposure to high levels of this allergen are important in the increasing asthma-related health problems among young inner-city children. However, there are very little data regarding the prevalence of cockroach allergy in infants and young children with asthma. OBJECTIVE: This retrospective study was designed to test the hypothesis that cockroach allergy appears early in life in young children with recurrent wheezing. METHODS: We reviewed the medical records of all 196 children (ages 5 months to 16 years) evaluated between January 1995 and September 1997 at the Cook County Hospital Pediatric Allergy Clinic for recurrent wheezing. The patients were assigned into two age groups, less than 4 years old and 4 to 16 years old. The percentages of IgE skin tests positive for common aeroallergens were compared within and between the two age groups. All children in the younger age group were tested for cockroach and dust mites, cat, and dog when indicated by positive environmental history. All children in the older age group were tested for indoor and outdoor allergens. RESULTS: Sixty-three children were younger than 4 years of age, and of these, 15 (23.8%) had cockroach allergen sensitivity, compared with only eight patients (12.7%) who were skin test positive to dust mite allergen (P = .01). The youngest patient with a positive reaction to cockroach allergen was 6 months old. Patients with a single allergen skin reactivity were considered as monosensitized. Nine children younger than 4 years of age (14.3%) were monosensitized only to cockroach allergen in contrast to three children (4.8%) who were monosensitized to house-dust mites (P < .05). CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest that cockroach allergen sensitivity starts early in life and may be the only sensitizing allergen in many young inner-city children.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2004

Cockroaches as potential vectors of nosocomial infections.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the possible role of cockroaches in the epidemiology of nosocomial infections. DESIGN: Epidemiologic investigation of bacteria and fungi in cockroaches and evaluation of the antibiotic resistance of the bacteria isolated from the insects. SETTING: Ninety hospitals in Kaohsiung City and Kaohsiung County in Taiwan. METHODS: Cockroaches were collected in clinical and nonclinical areas and microorganisms were isolated from their external surface and alimentary tract. The susceptibilities of Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus species, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Escherichia coli, Serratia marcescens, and Proteus species to 17 antibiotics were tested. RESULTS: Cockroach infestation was found in 46.7% of the hospitals studied. Two hundred three cockroaches were collected (139 Periplaneta americana and 64 Blattella germanica). Periplaneta americana was found more often in nonclinical areas (64.5%) and B. germanica in clinical areas (78.1%). There was no statistically significant difference between Periplaneta americana (98.6%) and B. germanica (96.9%) regarding overall isolation rate (P > .05). However, 33 species of bacteria and 16 species of fungi were isolated from Periplaneta americana and only 23 and 12, respectively, from B. germanica. Resistance to ampicillin (13.7% to 100%), chloramphenicol (14.3% to 71.4%), tetracycline (14.3% to 73.3%), and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (14.3% to 57.1%) was found in two gram-positive and five gram-negative bacteria. CONCLUSION: Because cockroach infestation occurred in more than 40% of the hospitals and nearly all of the cockroaches harbored bacteria with multidrug resistance and fungi, cockroaches may play a potential role in the epidemiology of nosocomial infections in those hospitals.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

Susceptibility of cockroaches (Dictyoptera: Blattellidae, Blattidae) to infection by Steinernema carpocapsae.

The susceptibility of American cockroaches, Periplaneta americana (L.); smoky brown cockroaches, P. fuliginosa (Serville); oriental cockroaches, Blatta orientalis L.; German cockroaches, Blattella germanica (L.); and brownbanded cockroaches, Supella longipalpa (F.), to Steinernema carpocapsae Weiser (All strain) was evaluated under laboratory conditions. A 1-ml water suspension containing 500,000 nematodes was placed on filter paper in a petri dish or the pad of a bait station. German, brown-banded, oriental, and smoky-brown cockroaches died within 1 d after placement in the petri dishes. The relative order for the LT50s were American greater than oriental greater than smoky-brown greater than brown-banded = German. All cockroaches actively groomed nematodes from legs and antennae of forced (petri dish) exposure. The LT50s for S. carpocapsae for nonforced (bait station) exposure were significantly greater than those for forced exposure. The LT50s were 3.25, 4.13, 9.86, and 11.38 d for brown-banded, German, oriental, and smoky-brown cockroaches, respectively. The relative order of the LT50s after forced (American greater than oriental greater than smoky-brown greater than German = brown-banded) and nonforced (American greater than smoky-brown greater than oriental greater than German greater than brown-banded) exposure to S. carpocapsae was inversely related to the moisture of their preferred habitats.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

Cockroach allergen-induced eosinophilic airway inflammation in HLA-DQ/human CD4(+) transgenic mice.

Airway eosinophilic inflammation is a characteristic feature of allergic asthma. Exposure to allergens produced by the German cockroach (Blattella germanica) is a risk factor for allergic disease in genetically predisposed individuals, and has been linked to an increase in asthma morbidity among cockroach-sensitive inner city children. To determine the role and contribution of specific HLA class II in the pathogenesis of allergic airway inflammation in cockroach-induced asthma, we generated double-transgenic, double-knockout mice expressing human HLA-DQ8, HLA-DQ6, and CD4 molecules in the absence of mouse class II and mouse CD4. Mice were actively immunized and later challenged intranasally with cockroach allergen extract. These mice developed bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) eosinophilia and pulmonary eosinophilia. This was accompanied by an increase in total protein levels, IL-5, and IL-13 in BALF. There were also elevated levels of cockroach-specific serum IgG1 and total serum IgE. Histological analysis revealed peribronchial and perivascular eosinophilic inflammation in cockroach-treated mice. Other pathologic changes in the airways were epithelial cell hypertrophy and mucus production. Treatment with anti-DQ mAb significantly reduced pulmonary and BALF eosinophilia in cockroach allergen-sensitized mice. Abeta(0) mice and transgenic mice expressing human CD4 molecule alone (without class II) or human HLA-DQ8 molecule (without CD4) treated in the same fashion showed no eosinophilia in bronchoalveolar fluid and no pulmonary parenchymal inflammation. Our results provide direct evidence that HLA-DQ molecules and CD4 T cells mediate cockroach-induced eosinophilic inflammation in the airways.

Allergens↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Cockroach hypersensitivity in asthmatic patients.

Hypersensitivity to cockroach antigen has been recognized as an important cause of perennial allergic rhinitis and asthma. To assess the frequency of cockroach hypersensitivity in our country, 150 asthmatic atopic subjects were studied using skin testing and in vitro assays for cockroach-specific IgE antibodies (Oriental and German cockroaches). Twenty-two of 61 patients who had a positive history of cockroach exposure had positive skin tests, and only 3 of 89 patients who had no history of exposure had positive skin reactions. Of 25 patients with positive skin tests, 23 showed specific IgE antibodies against oriental and German cockroaches using RAST and EIA techniques. In summary, approximately 15% of asthmatic atopics in Madrid area are sensitive to cockroaches (positive skin test + specific IgE antibodies). These results indicate that cockroach hypersensitivity should be considered in every patient with perennial asthma.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1995

Comparative effectiveness of an integrated pest management system and an insecticidal perimeter spray for control of smokybrown cockroaches (Dictyoptera: Blattidae).

Two treatments were compared for effectiveness in reducing abundance of smokybrown cockroaches, Periplaneta fuliginosa (Serville), around houses; an integrated pest management strategy consisting of sanitation, landscape management, and reduced insecticide usage, and a perimeter insecticide treatment applied according to label directions. Regression of means through time indicated that the integrated pest management treatment lasted approximately 60 d, whereas the perimeter treatment lasted only 30 d. The greater duration of control in the integrated pest management treatment was likely the result of decreased abundance of cockroaches outside the spray zone. In the perimeter treatment, cockroach abundance was unaffected outside the spray zone with no reduction in adult abundance in the spray zone except in the week following treatment application. The difference between the integrated pest management and perimeter treatments suggests that reinvasion of cockroaches from peripheral habitats decreases the duration of cockroach suppression. Abundance of 1st instars and small and medium nymphs was reduced for the duration of the experiment by both methods. Sampling procedures did not influence cockroach abundance. Reduction in abundance of cockroaches outside of houses reduced abundance of cockroaches inside houses.

Animals↗