TOPLINE:

In patients with house dust mite allergies, domestic mold contamination was associated with poorer asthma control. Although environmental interventions alleviated both asthma and improved rhinitis outcomes in all patients, gains were smaller in those exposed to domestic molds after 12 months.

METHODOLOGY:

• Researchers examined the association between domestic mold contamination and clinical outcomes in patients with house dust mite allergies enrolled in the ANGELE pathways program in eastern France between 2022 and 2024.
• A total of 380 participants with house dust mite allergies (mean age, 23.3 years) were categorized into two groups: Group A included those who had no visible and abnormal mold proliferation in their living environment (n = 280), whereas group B included those who had indoor mold contamination (n = 100).
• Clinical outcomes were assessed using the validated Allergic Rhinitis Control Test (ARCT) and Asthma Control Test (ACT; higher scores indicated better control for both) at baseline and after 12 months of environmental counseling and implementation of strategies to reduce exposure.

TAKEAWAY:

• Mold sensitization was more frequent in patients exposed to domestic molds than among those not exposed (21% vs 3.9%; P < .001).
• At baseline, asthma control was poorer in group B than in group A, with lower ACT scores in the former (P < .001), whereas rhinitis control did not differ between groups.
• After 12 months, group A achieved higher mean ARCT scores (mean difference, 23.1 vs 21.9; P = .008) and higher mean ACT scores (mean difference, 22.7 vs 21.3; P = .05) than group B.
• The prevalence of uncontrolled asthma decreased in both groups but remained higher in group B (4.8% vs 1.3%; P = .04).

IN PRACTICE:

“These findings emphasize the need for targeted mold remediation as a component of environmental management in allergic respiratory diseases while supporting the integration of MIEC [medical indoor environment counselor] home visits and follow-up, especially for HDM [house dust mite] patients with poor asthma and rhinitis control,” the authors of the study wrote.

SOURCE:

Youcef Shahali and Jean-Marc Rame, University Hospital of Besançon, Besançon, France, were the corresponding authors of the study, which was published online on April 17, 2026, in Clinical & Experimental Allergy.

LIMITATIONS:

No limitations were reported for the study.

DISCLOSURES:

The study was supported by the Innovation Fund under Article 51 of the French Social Security Financing Act. The authors reported having no conflicts of interest.

This article was created using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication.