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Blood Test Tracker

D. pteronyssinus (European house dust mite) IgE

Shows whether your immune system has made IgE antibodies to Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus, one of the two main house dust mite species.

AI-verified against cited sources. Awaiting expert reviewAlso called d1, D001, D. pteronyssinusLOINC 6096-2

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What it is

House dust mites are microscopic creatures that live in bedding, upholstered furniture and carpets and feed on shed skin cells. The allergens come mostly from their droppings and body parts. Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus, sometimes called the European house dust mite, is one of the two main dust mite species tested. The other is D. farinae. This test measures IgE, the type of antibody linked to allergic reactions, that your body has made against D. pteronyssinus. Sensitization means your body has made IgE antibodies to a substance. It does not always mean you are allergic.

Why it matters

Dust mite sensitization is one of the most common causes of year-round nose and chest allergy symptoms around the world, and it is among the strongest links to asthma. In a US government survey (NHANES 2005-2006), about 1 in 5 people aged 6 and older had IgE to dust mites. A result can help you and your clinician decide whether mites may be behind a stuffy nose, sneezing, cough or wheeze that doesn't follow the seasons. Having IgE doesn't by itself mean mites are causing your symptoms.

If it’s high

A result above your lab's usual range means your body has made IgE antibodies to this dust mite. Many people with this result have no symptoms. Others have nose, eye or chest symptoms that continue through the year. Higher numbers are more often linked to symptoms, but they don't reliably predict how strong a reaction will be.

Common causes

  • An allergy-prone immune system (atopy), often together with other allergies such as pollen
  • Everyday exposure to dust mites, which live in most homes, especially in bedding and soft furnishings
  • Cross-reaction between the two main dust mite species, so a positive D. pteronyssinus result often comes with a positive D. farinae result
  • In some people, IgE to mite tropomyosin, a muscle protein that can cross-react with shellfish proteins
  • A weak result of 0.10 to 0.34 kU/L, which labs treat as uncertain

What can help

  • Talk with your clinician about whether your symptoms match this result
  • Ask about steps to cut mite exposure, such as allergen-proof covers on the mattress and pillows and washing bedding every week in hot water (above 55 °C, or 131 °F). Studies disagree on how much these help, so a combination of steps is usually suggested
  • Ask whether an allergy specialist could go over other options

Usual ranges

What labs print as the reference range, by who was tested. Ranges differ a little between labs, so the range on your own report is the one your result is judged against.

For adults: 0–0.1 kU/L. Source: Thermo Fisher Scientific, ARUP Laboratories, Labcorp, Quest Diagnostics, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Phadia), Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, NIAID / Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, World Allergy Organization Journal, Advances in Dermatology and Allergology, Current Allergy and Asthma Reports, Children's Minnesota.

ImmunoCAP class scale as printed by Quest and ARUP (cut points differ by about 0.01 between labs)

  • Class 0: absent or undetectablebelow 0.1 kU/L
  • Class 0/1: very low level, relevance uncertain0.1 to under 0.35 kU/L
  • Class 1: low level0.35 to under 0.7 kU/L
  • Class 2: moderate level0.7 to under 3.5 kU/L
  • Class 3: high level3.5 to under 17.5 kU/L
  • Class 4: very high level17.5 to under 50 kU/L
  • Class 5: very high level50 to under 100.01 kU/L
  • Class 6: very high level100.01 and above kU/L

Labcorp class scale (ImmunoCAP, as printed on Labcorp reports)

  • Class 0: negativebelow 0.1 kU/L
  • Class 0/I: equivocal or low0.1 to under 0.32 kU/L
  • Class I: low0.32 to under 0.56 kU/L
  • Class II: moderate0.56 to under 1.41 kU/L
  • Class III: high1.41 to under 3.91 kU/L
  • Class IV: very high3.91 to under 19.01 kU/L
  • Class V: very high19.01 to under 100.01 kU/L
  • Class VI: very high100.01 and above kU/L

What can affect your result

  • Exposure at home: mites do best in warm, humid places and soft furnishings
  • Cross-reaction with D. farinae and other mites
  • Lab method: results from different labs or assay systems may not be comparable
  • Medicines: antihistamines do not change this blood test, unlike skin prick testing
  • Very high total IgE can produce weak, nonspecific positive results.
  • Different assay systems give different numbers for the same blood sample, so compare results from the same lab and method.
  • Some labs reject samples that are hemolyzed (red cells broken), jaundiced (icteric) or lipemic (very fatty).

Antibody levels usually change slowly, over months to years.

When to talk to a clinician

Talk with a clinician if a stuffy nose, sneezing, cough or wheeze keeps coming back, especially at night or in the morning. Call your local emergency number for severe trouble breathing.

Questions you could ask

  • How should I read two positive dust mite results?
  • Do my symptoms happen all year, or are they worse in bed or after dusting?
  • Which mite-reduction steps are worth trying at home?
  • Would a visit with an allergy specialist or further testing, such as component tests, help?

Questions people ask

Why are both of my dust mite results positive?

The two main dust mite species are very similar, so IgE made against one often reacts with the other. Two positive results don't necessarily mean two separate allergies.

Will washing my bedding or using mattress covers help?

Studies disagree. Some analyses found no benefit of mite avoidance for asthma, while a trial in children found that allergen-proof bed covers reduced hospital visits for asthma. Experts suggest combining several steps. Ask your clinician what makes sense for you.

Does a dust mite result mean I'm allergic to shellfish?

No. A small number of people are sensitized to mite tropomyosin, a muscle protein that can cross-react with shellfish. Dust mite IgE on its own doesn't mean you have a shellfish allergy.

Show the science and sources

Units

  • 1 kU/L = 1 kU/L
  • 1 kU/L = 1 UA/mL

For clinicians and researchers

ImmunoCAP d1 is a fluorescent enzyme immunoassay for IgE to a D. pteronyssinus extract (manufacturer range 0.1 to 100 kUA/L; above 100 is printed as >100). Der p 1 (a cysteine protease from mite feces, about 24 kDa), Der p 2 and Der p 23 are the major allergens. Der p 1 damages the airway lining, which may help other allergens get in, and it has the closest structural match to Der f 1, so IgE to D. pteronyssinus often registers on D. farinae. Der p 10 is tropomyosin, a heat-stable muscle protein that cross-reacts with insects and shellfish. Whole-mite extracts can under-represent several allergens, including Der p 5, Der p 7 and Der p 23, so a negative extract result can miss some sensitized people; component tests for Der p 1, 2, 10 and 23 are available on ImmunoCAP. ARUP labels 0.10 to 0.34 kU/L as clinical relevance undetermined, while other labs call it equivocal or very low. The class tables differ slightly between labs, so use the class your own report prints.

LOINC 6096-2 (primary), 112128-4. Specimen: serum.

Sources

  1. Allergens, Inhalants, Comprehensive Profile IgE (test 0055312), ARUP Laboratories
  2. Allergen Profile With Component Reflexes, Respiratory, Area 2 (test 607111), Labcorp
  3. Sample patient report: Allergens with Component Reflex, Area 20 (test 607120), Labcorp (2021)
  4. ImmunoCAP Specific IgE Blood Test: Allergy Test List (interpretation table and test codes), Quest Diagnostics (2017)
  5. ImmunoCAP Specific IgE blood test results: Interpretation (respiratory results interpretation guide), Thermo Fisher Scientific (Phadia) (2023)
  6. ImmunoCAP Mite Allergens (Thermo Fisher product page; lists d1 and d2; measuring range 0.1 to 100 kUA/L), Thermo Fisher Scientific
  7. ImmunoCAP allergy: Change to Reference Interval Interpretation, UR Medicine Labs, University of Rochester Medical Center (2022)
  8. Prevalence of allergic sensitization in the United States: results from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2005-2006, Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (2014)
  9. Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Food Allergy in the United States: Report of the NIAID-Sponsored Expert Panel, NIAID / Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (2010)
  10. IgE allergy diagnostics and other relevant tests in allergy, a World Allergy Organization position paper, World Allergy Organization Journal (2020)
  11. Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus proteins and their role in the diagnostics and management of house dust mite allergy, Advances in Dermatology and Allergology (2024)
  12. Update on House Dust Mite Allergen Avoidance Measures for Asthma, Current Allergy and Asthma Reports (2020)
  13. Allergen IgE (laboratory test manual entry; class table and reporting rules), Children's Minnesota (2018)

AI-verified against cited sources. Awaiting expert review. Last reviewed 2026-10-03. How we build and check these pages.

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