Blomia tropicalis: A 50 Year History.

Abstract

The genus Blomia tropicalis was described fifty years ago. Since then, great progress has been made on the clinical impact of this house dust mite (HDM). B. tropicalis is widely distributed in tropical and subtropical zones, where it induces IgE sensitization and clinical symptoms. The discovery of this mite not only provided additional support for the causal relationship between HDM sensitization and allergic respiratory symptoms but also changed the scope of the diagnosis and management of these diseases. There are now 26 officially accepted B. tropicalis allergens, several of them with cross-reactivity with mites such as Dermatophagoides spp. and some storage mites, which adds complexity to the diagnosis of sensitization and the choice of extracts for allergen specific immunotherapy. Fortunately, the discovery and characterization of molecules useful for component resolved diagnostic testing provide the tools for this challenge. Immunotherapy with B. tropicalis extract is successfully used in several countries of Latin America, Africa and Asia; however, the availability of standardized extracts in subtropical regions is still limited. During the 50 years of research on B. tropicalis, several groups, have made contributions about allergen characterization, their mechanisms of action and clinical impact; the immunogenetics of sensitization; the possible effects of climate change; and the design and testing of new vaccines.