Moth-related antigens contained in the house dust of the Japanese house

We established an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for determining moth-related antigens in house dust. Samples, biotinated anti-moth antibodies, and horseradish peroxidase labeled streptavidin were reacted with the microplate on which anti-moth rat polyclonal antibodies were absorbed. The concentration of moth antigens was correlated with absorbance in the range from 0.1 to 100 micrograms/ml. Cross-reaction with other insect antigens was observed; 10 micrograms of midge antigens and 100 micrograms of mosquito antigens corresponded to 1 microgram of the moth antigens, respectively. With this method, moth-related antigens can be detected in house dust. However, there was no remarkable difference in antigen levels among the three locations examined: a large city, a small town, and a rural area.