Using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for IgE specific to mites, we evaluated the relationship between total serum IgE levels and IgE antibodies specific to mite in 58 asthmatic children. Our results showed that there was a positive correlation between total serum IgE and IgE antibody specific to Dermatophagoides pteronys-sinus (r = 0.57; p < 0.001) and Dermatophagoides fari-nae (r = 0.59; p < 0.001). There was also a significant correlation between D. pteronyssinus-specific IgE and D. farinae-specific IgE (r = 0.68; p < 0.001). This suggests that there are common allergens between the two species. The close correlation between the ELISA assay and skin test suggests that the former will be useful for the diagnosis of mite allergy in asthma.