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Leading dermatologists, ophthalmologists, researchers and others will answer questions about this chronic but treatable condition. New questions are answered every month, so be sure to check back regularly.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Q Can dust mites be responsible for rosacea flare-ups?
A Response from Dr. Frank Powell, consultant dermatologist at Mater Misericordiae Hospital, Dublin, Ireland, who has conducted significant studies with Demodex mites and rosacea:
House dust mites are just one of the many varieties of the microscopic member of the spider class that live in soil or water, or coexist with animals or insects. Technically known as Dermatophagoides farinae, the house dust mite feeds on minute particles of organic matter, including the skin cells shed by people every day that make up a large component of household dust. While house dust mites may be vacuumed away or killed by sunlight, the humid home environment is often an ideal environment.
While D. farinae mites and their byproducts have been connected with asthma and allergic reactions, there is no evidence of association with rosacea. However, Demodex folliculorum mites, parasites that live on or in human hair follicles, including on the face, have long been suspected of having a role in the onset or flare-up of rosacea. This mite is a normal inhabitant of human skin, but has been found to be three to four times more numerous in rosacea patients.
Our newly published study, funded by the National Rosacea Society, demonstrated for the first time that these invisible organisms may be a cause or exacerbating factor in rosacea. Published in the British Journal of Dermatology, we identified Bacillus oleronius as a bacteria associated with Demodex mites. We found that B. oleronius stimulated an immune system response in almost 80 percent of patients with papulopustular rosacea, suggesting that the bacteria rather than the mites could be responsible for the inflammation associated with the condition, a hypothesis supported by the fact that effective treatment includes antibiotics that destroy B. oleronius.
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