Keywords

Allergens, Cats, Textile fabrics

Abstract

Individuals sensitive to domestic cat allergen Fel d 1 experience a variety of symptoms including eye irritation, respiratory irritation, asthma, and severe respiratory distress. Fel d 1 is a protein produced in the saliva and on the skin of domestic cats. Previous studies have demonstrated that Fel d 1 adheres to clothing, upholstery, and human hair and has been found in non-cat environments in levels high enough to cause allergic reactions in sensitive individuals. In a general sense, two very different approaches have been adopted to study Fel d 1. One area of the literature focuses on the molecular biology of Fel d 1 and its functions at the cellular level. These studies hold long-term promise for an effective clinical response to this persistent allergen. An entirely separate literature focuses on immediate practical solutions that remove Fel d 1 from the domestic environment. Within this literature there has been minimal emphasis on the possibility that different fabrics may have different affinities for Fel d 1. Therefore, the affinity of Fel d 1 for different fabrics is the focus of this study. The findings from this study will be of use in reducing allergic reactions in sensitive individuals through the choice of appropriate fabrics in clothing and upholstery. Forty domestic household cats were chosen for this study. Each cat was rubbed, in a manner similar to petting, with an assembled fabric square based on a Latin-square design. Each Latin-square design consisted of a 6x6 fabric grid and included the fabrics silk dupioni, wool suiting, cotton denim, cotton damask, polyester suede and polyester knit. The random organization of the fabrics into the grid removed bias for the location of fabrics within the square during Fel d 1 collection. After rubbing, the Latin-square fabric iii block was disassembled and Fel d 1 was extracted from each fabric type and analyzed via quantitative ELISA. The results were statistically analyzed with a univariate ANOVA. Fabrics significantly differ (p

Notes

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Graduation Date

2011

Semester

Summer

Advisor

von Kalm, Laurence

Degree

Master of Science (M.S.)

College

College of Sciences

Department

Biology

Format

application/pdf

Identifier

CFE0003963

URL

http://purl.fcla.edu/fcla/etd/CFE0003963

Language

English

Length of Campus-only Access

None

Access Status

Masters Thesis (Open Access)

Subjects

Dissertations, Academic -- Sciences, Sciences -- Dissertations, Academic

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Included in

Biology Commons

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