Similarities and differences in the effects of sensitisation and challenge with Dermatophagoides farinae and Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus extracts in a murine asthma surrogate

Patients with atopic asthma may become sensitised to the grain storage mite Dermatophagoides farinae (Der f), the house dust mite Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (Der p) or both, but thus far little attention has been paid to date to possible variation in their pathophysiological effects. Here we present a side by side comparison of the effects of extracts of these two dust mites in a murine surrogate of atopic asthma. Compared with the Der p-challenged mice, however, the mice-challenged with Der f had favour changes in lung tissue elasticity and expression in matrix metalloproteinases in lung tissue, while the mice challenged with Der p showed more neutrophils infiltrating around the airway and stronger expression of steroid-resistant related cytokines in the lung tissue. Our data suggest that different dust mite crude extracts might lead different pathological characteristics, at least in murine models of asthma.