Airborne cat allergen reduction in classrooms that use special school clothing or ban pet ownership
Open accessAbstract
Background Allergens from furred animals are brought to school mainly via clothing of pet owners. Asthmatic children allergic to cat have more symptoms when attending a class with many cat owners, and some schools allocate specific resources to allergen avoidance measures.Objective The aim of the current study was to evaluate the effect of school clothing or pet owner-free classes compared with control classes on airborne cat allergen levels and to investigate attitudes and allergic symptoms among the children.Methods Allergen measurements were performed prospectively in 2 classes with school clothing, 1 class of children who were not pet owners, and 3 control classes during a 6-week period in 2 consecutive years. Portable pumps and petri dishes were used for collection of airborne cat allergen, and a roller was used for sampling on children's clothes. Cat allergen (Fel d 1) was analyzed with enzyme-linked immunoassay and immunostaining. Both years, questionnaires were administered to the children.Results We found 4-fold to 6-fold lower airborne cat allergen levels in intervention classes compared with control classes. Levels of cat allergen were 3-fold higher on clothing of cat owners than of children without cats in control classes. Pet ownership ban seemed less accepted than school clothing as an intervention measure.Conclusion For the first time, it has been shown that levels of airborne cat allergen can be reduced by allergen avoidance measures at school by using school clothing or pet ownership ban, and that both measures are equally efficient. The clinical effect of these interventions remains to be evaluated.
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The 2023 trial's findings suggest that environmental control strategies did not provide additional benefits in reducing allergen exposure or medication needs in this population.
“These findings suggest that ECS did not provide additional benefits in reducing allergen exposure or medication needs in this population (56).”
From Indoor Allergen Interventions in Homes and Schools for Managing Asthma (2025) · cites this paper as [56]
The Discussion (page not supplied) concludes that school clothing and a pet ownership ban each reduced airborne cat allergen levels four- to sixfold, contrary to the claim of no additional benefit for allergen exposure. It says clinical parameters could not be analyzed, so it does not establish an effect on medication needs. (LLM, conf=0.88)
Checked by a reasoning model — may be wrong.
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredIn a 2023 randomized clinical trial of 155 allergen-sensitized children, adding home environmental control strategies to asthma controller medication titration did not result in statistically or clinically significant differences in allergen levels compared to control at six months.
“Despite tailored environmental control strategies, the intervention did not result in statistically or clinically significant differences in allergen levels compared to control at six months (56).”
From Indoor Allergen Interventions in Homes and Schools for Managing Asthma (2025) · cites this paper as [56]
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- Authors
- Karlsson, A.-S., Andersson, B., Renström, A., Svedmyr, J., Larsson, K., & Borres, M. P.
- Affiliations
- Karolinska Institutet (SE)
- Falun Hospital (SE)
- Corresponding author
- Karlsson, Anne-Sophie
- ORCID
- Borres, Magnus P.
- Venue
- Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2004-06
- Volume
- 113
- Issue
- 6
- Pages
- 1172-1177
- ISSN
- 0091-6749 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2151060423
- Cited by
- 54
- References
- 21
- Citations by year
- 2025: 2 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 1 · 2022: 2 · 2021: 2 · 2020: 1 · 2019: 2 · 2018: 4 · 2017: 3 · 2016: 2 · 2015: 1 · 2014: 1 · 2013: 4 · 2012: 5
- FWCI
- 2.11
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Immunology and Allergy › Allergic Rhinitis and Sensitization
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis › Indoor Air Quality and Microbial Exposure
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Asthma and respiratory diseases
- Keywords
- cat allergen, Fel d 1, aeroallergens, school classrooms, allergen avoidance, childhood asthma, allergic symptoms, children's clothing, allergen exposure
- MeSH terms
- Air, Allergens, Animals, Attitude, Cats, Clothing, Glycoproteins, Humans, Hypersensitivity, Prospective Studies, Surveys and Questionnaires, Schools
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