Allergenic proteins are fragmented in low concentrations of sodium hypochlorite

Abstract

We concluded that NaOCl at concentrations commonly used in household products is capable of dramatically affecting allergenic protein.

Domestic use of hypochlorite bleach, atopic sensitization, and respiratory symptoms in adults

“…[14][15][16] We investigated whether cat and mite allergen levels in house dust were influenced by the frequency of bleach use. Our findings do not indicate that domestic use of bleach may reduce indoor allergen exposure levels.…”

“…13 On the other hand, bleach has been found to be effective in the inactivation of cat and other indoor allergens, probably through the fragmentation of antigenic proteins. 14,15 It has also been shown that bleach is able to reduce skin prick test reactivity to Aspergillus allergens in sensitized individuals when it is used to pretreat mold-contaminated material. 16 It is not clear, however, whether such inactivation of antigenic material has any clinical relevance.…”

Chlorination Products: Emerging Links with Allergic Diseases

“…When a house is cleaned with bleach, children are not likely to be exposed to high concentrations of chlorine gas or trichloramine simply because they are not directly involved in the cleaning tasks. In that situation, the balance for children -but not necessarily for people doing the cleaning -is clearly in favor of the beneficial effects of chlorine that consist in a decreased risk of asthma and respiratory allergy [14,61,62] as a result of the inactivation of allergens by the hypochlorite [63,64]. Because of the high microbial risks, day care centers require a daily infection of surfaces and objects that infants can be in contact with.…”

“…Chlorine-based oxidants can indeed sufficiently denaturate or fragment proteins to completely abolish their immunogenicity. The cat (Fed1) and house dust mite (Der p1) allergens, for instance, have been found to be inactivated by low concentrations of chlorine bleach [63,64].…”

“…As long as chlorine was mainly used to disinfect drinking water or surfaces, human exposure to CPs was limited to the oral route with a minimal exposure via the skin or the respiratory tract. On the contrary, when used for surface disinfection, chlorine bleach appears to protect towards the risks of asthma and sensitization to indoor allergens, most probably by destroying allergens and harmful microbial agents such as fungal toxins and endotoxins [63,64]. Actually, it is very likely that CPs and allergic diseases started to be linked after the midst of the 20 th century with the development of public and leisure pools and similar aquatic environments.…”