House dust mites are the major source of airborne allergen in the home to which people with atopy are exposed. There is compelling indirect evidence that house dust mites are important in the pathogenesis of atopic dermatitis (AD), including: high titres of allergen Derp1 -specific IgE antibody in most patients; IgE antibody responses against a diversity of mite allergens among patients with AD; marked clinical improvement following intensive eradication of mite allergens in the home or removal of patients to allergen-free environments; development of cutaneous basophil hypersensitivity and eczematous - type lesions following allergen patch-testing; proliferation of T-cells from patients with AD in vitro in the presence of mite allergens; the presence of mite allergens bound to Langerhans cells and Fe, -specific T cells after allergen patch-testing AD skin.

These findings suggest that mite-sensitive people with AD receive a high degree of exposure to house dust mite allergens. Recently, Beck and Korsgaard found that people with moderate /severe AD had significantly higher densities of mites in their homes than non-atopics or people with psoriasis.

The purpose of the present study was to investigate whether the homes of people with AD had significantly higher mite population densities than those of non-atopics, and whether there was any difference related to the presence of damp in the homes; humidity is a major limiting factor for the growth of house dust mite populations.

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