SummaryThe prevalance of positive specific IgE antibodies to house dust mites (Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus: D. farinae) was determined by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in 5097 (61) volunteers of 8345 schoolchildren aged between 7 and 14 yr from two government schools, All of them filled out a questionnaire concerning allergic symptoms. Among them, 412 (8·1) children showed a positive reaction to at least one of the two mite allergens, the range varying between 5·6 and 11·2 according to the child's age. Boys had higher prevalence of positive mite specific IgE than girls (9·8 vs. 6·4,P0·1), but were significantly different among subjects with current and past asthma (P<0·001). It is suggested that the mire‐specific IgE may play a role in the pathogenesis of bronchial ast
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