Plasma cluster ions decrease the antigenicity of mite allergens and suppress atopic dermatitis in NC/Nga mice

Mite antigens play important roles in the pathogenesis of atopic dermatitis (AD). We recently developed a novel air cleaner (KC-850U) using charged plasma cluster ions to eliminate a variety of allergens from house environments. The present work demonstrates the ability of KC-850U to decrease the symptoms of AD induced by mite allergens. Pooled sera from the conventional NC/Nga mice, and AD model animals, were incubated with varying concentrations of the control and KC-850U-pretreated allergens extracted from mite. The incubated mixtures were transferred to wells coated with intact allergens and subjected to ELISA to measure the amounts of immunoglobulin E (IgE) bound to the wells. Kinetic analysis revealed that exposure of mite extracts to plasma cluster ions destructed about 95% of the epitopes of the allergens. The specific pathogen-free and conventional mice were housed in rooms equipped with either KC-850U or a standard air cleaner and observed their dermal symptom for 2 weeks. Dermatological examination revealed the AD symptom of the conventional mice housed in a room equipped with an air cleaner. In contrast, the symptoms which became apparent during the experiments were suppressed remarkably exposing mice to plasma cluster ions. These observations suggested that plasma cluster ions generated by KC-850U destroyed the epitopes of mite allergens and suppressed the symptoms of AD in the mice.