J Asthma Allergy Clin Immunol.  1999 Feb;19(1):67-78.

Efficacy of an air cleaning device equipped with an electrostatic precipitator and photocatalytic plasma filter in respiratory allergic patients

• Park JW
• Ko SH
• Yun YY
• Kim CW
• Hong CS
• Lee KY
• Hong YK
• Lee SH

Abstract

OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the clinical efficacy of a new air cleaning device (LG Electronics, Korea) equipped with electrostatic precipitator (EP) and photocatalytic plasma filter (PCP) in 24 respiratory allergic subjects. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Air cleaning conditioner and air cleaner were placed in living room and bedroom. Both EP and PCP (EP/PCP) filters were used for the first 4 weeks and for another 4 weeks, PCP without EP filter (PCP) was used. We measured symptom scores of asthma and rhinitis, peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR), serum eosinophil cataionic prote in? in ECP, Dermatophagoides farinae (DF) specific IgE and IgG in sera, concentrations of major allergens of DF in floor dust of living room, bedroom and in airborne dust.
RESULTS
Both asthma and rhinitis symptom scores were significantly improved not only with EP/PCP filters but also with PCP filter. The morning PEFR was significantly improved with EP/PCP filters, but not with PCP filter. Frequency of salbutamol inhalation by air cleaner with EP/PCP filter tended to de crease(p=0.051), with no significant difference in serum ECP concentration. DF specific IgE significantly decreased at the 8th week with no differences in specific IgG. However, the mean Der f I levels in floor dust of bedroom (1, 128 vs. 374 ng/gm dust, p<0.01) and living room (1,516 vs 812 ng/gm dust, p<0.01) decreased, Der f1 in airborne dust measured only in 8 out of 22 subjects, and they decreased significantly with the trial of EP/PCP filter (172.2 pg/4.5m vs. 62.1 pg/4.5m, p<0.01).
CONCLUSION
These results suggest that the EP/PCP air cleaner may be an effective tool for environmental control in respiratory allergic subjects.

Keyword

air cleaner; respiratory allergy; electrostatic precipitator; photocatalytic plasma

MeSH Terms

Albuterol
Allergens
Asthma
Dermatophagoides farinae
Dust
Eosinophils
Humans
Immunoglobulin E
Immunoglobulin G
Inhalation
Peak Expiratory Flow Rate
Plasma*
Rhinitis
Albuterol
Allergens
Dust
Immunoglobulin E
Immunoglobulin G