Indoor Allergens and Allergic Respiratory Disease

Purpose of review

The purpose of this review is to evaluate the most recent findings on indoor allergens and their impact on allergic diseases.

Recent findings

Indoor allergens are present inside buildings (home, work environment, school), and given the chronic nature of the exposures, indoor allergies tend to be associated with the development of asthma. The most common indoor allergens are derived from dust mites, cockroaches, mammals (including wild rodents and pets), and fungi. The advent of molecular biology and proteomics has led to the identification, cloning, and expression of new indoor allergens, which have facilitated research to elucidate their role in allergic diseases. This review is an update on new allergens and their molecular features, together with the most recent reports on their avoidance for allergy prevention and their use for diagnosis and treatment.

Summary

Research progress on indoor allergens will result in the development of new diagnostic tools and design of coherent strategies for immunotherapy.