Fungal fragments; nature, occurrence, and clinical implications in human disease

Details

• Personal Author:
  Green, Brett J.
• Description:
  Recent advances in fungal detection methodologies have provided new insight into the nature, occurrence, and clinical implications associated with exposure to fragments of fungi. The term non-gonomorphic particle has been proposed for those particles that have become mechanically severed from the parent mycelium but were not programmatically differentiated as separable. These particles include hyphal fragments <100 Jm long, partial multicellular conidia, and subcellular fragments of hyphae, conidia, yeast cells, chlamydospores, and fruiting bodies. Fragmentation can be caused by several biotic (fungal autolysis, hyphal vacuolation, shizolytic/rhexolytic separation, comminution) or abiotic events (wind, vibration, anthropogenic and mechanical disturbances); however, these processes remain uncharacterized for fungi that frequently colonize water-damaged building materials or are occupationally relevant. In some environments, non-gonomorphic particles (>2.5 Jm) represent a significant proportion of the aerospora (0.01-56%), and are derived from species in the orders Capnodiales, Pleosporales, and Eurotiales. Sub-micron non-gonomorphic particles (<2.5 Jm) have been shown in chamber experiments to be aerosolized in greater concentrations than conidia and these particles have been detected in field studies that have quantified (1M3)-N-D-glucan, ergosterol, glycerophospholipids, and antigens derived from Alternaria alternata and Aspergillus niger. Although the nonviable subcellular fraction of nongonomorphic particles is of low potential importance to opportunistic disease, a respiratory deposition model demonstrated these particles to penetrate the terminal airways in greater concentrations than conidia. The significance of these findings to respiratory disease is further reinforced by studies that have demonstrated these particles to contain antigens, allergens, secondary metabolites, mycotoxins, ergosterol, and (1M3)-N-D-glucan. Although no direct associations between non-gonomorphic particle counts and health outcomes have been identified as yet, the presence of these particulates in environmental samples needs further characterization utilizing modern methods of assessment. These data in combination with murine models of exposure, will improve our understanding of the potential health effects associated with personal fungal exposure. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Air Pollutants, Occupational Bacteria Dust Environmental Exposure Environmental Monitoring Fungi Hazardous Substances Hypersensitivity Immune System Irritants Lung Microbiology Occupational Exposure Occupational Health Particulate Matter Respiratory Hypersensitivity Respiratory System Respiratory Tract Diseases Safety

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• Keywords:
  Airborne-particles Allergic-reactions Allergies Bacterial-dusts Biological-effects Chronic-exposure Environmental-exposure Exposure-assessment Health-hazards Immune-reaction Inhalation-studies Lung-irritants Microscopic-analysis Molds Molecular-biology Particle-aerodynamics Particle-counters Particulate-dust Physiological-effects Physiological-measurements Physiological-response Pulmonary-function Pulmonary-system Quantitative-analysis Respiratory-hypersensitivity Respiratory-infections Respiratory-irritants

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• Publisher:
  University of Tromsø
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Abstract or Summary
• Place as Subject:
  OSHA Region 3 ; West Virginia
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  HELD - Health Effects Laboratory Division
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  6
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20039558
• Citation:
  Organic Dust Tromsø Symposium, April 3-6, 2011,Tromsø, Hurtigruten, Norway. Tromsø, Norway: University of Tromsø, 2010 Apr; :6
• Contact Point Address:
  Brett J. Green, Allergy and Clinical Immunology Branch, Health Effects Laboratory Division, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Morgantown, WV, USA
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2011
• NORA Priority Area:
  Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing ; Services
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Source Full Name:
  Organic Dust Tromsø Symposium, April 3-6, 2011,Tromsø, Hurtigruten, Norway
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:c25f1c56032274e0bb812e660f3b9f56a8fe777428950ed92483082c858c02aeb5953c0905902fd38bcd688761328a4d5d076c52f16e8380f46e8fd545de0649
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/192753/cdc_192753_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 183.68 KB ]