# The association of environmental house dust mite allergens and crustacean allergy: The Japan Environment and Children’s Study (JECS)

## TL;DR

This study explores whether exposure to house dust mites in early childhood is linked to crustacean allergies in Japanese preschoolers.

## Contribution

It investigates the potential cross-reaction between house dust mites and crustacean allergies in Asian populations.

## Key findings

- Crustacean allergy prevalence in Japanese preschoolers was 0.4%.
- Exposure to house dust mites at 18 months showed a non-significant association with crustacean allergy.
- No significant link was found between mite exposure at 3 years and crustacean allergy.

## Abstract

The higher crustacean allergy prevalence in Asia than in Western regions may be due to a shrimp–mite cross-reaction. A high environmental house dust mite prevalence may lead to increased house dust mite sensitization and thereby increase the prevalence of crustacean allergy.

To determine the association between environmental house dust mite allergens and crustacean allergy in Japanese preschool children.

We used data from 4,242 mother–infant dyads who participated in the subcohort study of the Japan Environment and Children’s Study, a prospective birth cohort study. A logistic regression model was used to analyze the association between house dust mite allergens in dust at 18 months and 3 years of age and crustacean allergy at the age of 4 years.

The crustacean allergy prevalence was 0.4%. Greater house dust mite exposure at 18 months of age was associated with a higher prevalence of crustacean allergy, although this association was not statistically significant. However, there was no positive association between house dust mite exposure at 3 years of age and crustacean allergy.

No association between house dust mite allergen exposure in infancy and the risk of crustacean allergy at preschool age was apparent. Follow-up studies, including investigation of tropomyosin sensitization in schoolchildren, are required.