Nathan Stachura

4/1/16
Block 3
Asian sand dust aggregate causes atopic dermatitis-like symptoms in Nc/Nga mice
Summary
Takeshita, Sayaka, et al. "Asian Sand Dust Aggregate Causes Atopic Dermatitis-Like Symptoms
in Nc/Nga Mice."Allergy, asthma, and clinical immunology : official journal of the Canadian
Society of Allergy and Clinical Immunology11.1 (2015): 3-. Web.
The purpose of this study was to see if there was a connection between Asian sand dust
(ASD) and it aggravating the symptoms of Atopic dermatitis (AD). AD is a skin condition that is
multifactorial, with environmental aspects and genetic aspects that can cause AD to form . AD
has red, inflamed, itchy and dry patches of skin show on the body, generally affecting young
children and infants. The symptoms can flare up when exposed to allergens or irritants that
affect AD, such as dust or pollen. The study was trying to see if ASD would be an irritant, and
how it might affect the progress of AD, as ASD already can cause respiratory conditions and
diseases.
The research team had 6 groups of NC/nga mice, each group with eight mice. One group
was the control, with mineral oil placed on their backs, then there was an ASD group where ASD
was placed onto the shaved backs of the mice along with the mineral oil. The third group was
administered heated ASD (H-ASD), as the heat was thought to lowered the amount of harmful
chemicals in the ASD. The fourth group was administered house dust mite extract (DM), and the
fifth group was given DM and normal ASD. The sixth and final group was administered DM and
H-ASD. All of the procedures were done twice a week for four weeks, and the results were
monitored in terms of symptoms with a scaling system. The researchers measured the IgE levels
in the blood as well.
The scientists hypothesized that the ASD would solicit a response just by itself, but that
was not the case. The first three groups had nearly the same data in terms of symptoms
progressing and in IgE levels, but once the researchers added DM, they saw a major difference in
results at the end of the experiment. The three groups that were exposed to DM had significantly
worse symptoms as well as higher level of IgE. Group four, that was only given DM, showed a
significant change with the scoring for symptoms, with the first three groups barely rising above

a score of 1, and group four reaching an 8. Group four was only the minimum of the latter three
groups in terms of all measurements. When groups four, five and six are compared to the first
three groups in terms of IgE levels, they surpass groups one, two and three by 2000 ng/ml at the
minimum. The DM+ASD combination was the highest leveling in both symptoms and in IgE
levels. The heated ASD was less severe than the unheated, but it was still worse than just normal
DM.
The authors deduced that Asian sand dust by itself is not an irritant for Atopic dermatitis,
but if it is combined with house dust mites, it can cause far more severe symptoms to show. It is
already known that ASD is related to respiratory disorder, but the authors now can exacerbate
symptoms of Atopic dermatitis in people who are susceptible to dust mites. In future studies, the
use of more mice may allow for more averaged data, instead of only using eight mice per group.
The question of how can people protect themselves from ASD is still left unanswered, but with
more research and time, this can be answered.