Cat allergen sampling by a new personal collector (Partrap FA 52).

ABSTRACT

Recent studies carried out by us and others have demonstrated that Fel d 1, the main cat allergen, may be passively transferred by human clothing in cat-free environments. Consequently, the monitoring of the Fel d 1 levels either in indoor environments or on allergen-contaminated clothes of sensitized cat owners should be considered an important tool in prevention strategies. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of a personal air sampler (Partrap FA 52) in capturing cat allergen from wool fabrics. Seven identical wool webs (80 x 100 cm) were put in the baskets of seven male cats for 1 week. In our laboratory each web was divided into two parts (80 x 50 cm), the first of which was then divided in two parts (40 x 50 cm) and each was vacuumed directly by one collector. The second part was dry-cleaned at a professional cleaners, divided in two parts and then vacuumed. For the dust collection from wool webs we used a fixed high volume air sampler (CF/20 Gelaire Flow Labs, Milan, Italy) and a personal collector (Partrap FA 52, Coppa Biella, Italy). Fel d 1 content was determined using a two site ELISA (ALK-Abelló Group, Madrid, Spain). Both air samplers collected cat allergens from cat-exposed wool fabrics before and after dry cleaning. There were significant differences between the levels of Fel d 1 before and after dry cleaning by using either CF/20 or Partrap FA52 and between the levels of Fel d 1 before dry cleaning using CF/20 and Partrap FA 52. The results of our study suggest that Partrap FA 52, although its air flow is half that of the CF/20, is able to collect even residual amounts of cat allergen from wool webs after dry cleaning and consequently may constitute a simple and effective means of monitoring the levels of Fel d 1 on the clothes of cat owners.