Investigating Sex Differences and the Role of IL-5 in Aspergillus versicolor and Stachybotrys chartarum-Induced Pulmonary Responses

Details

• Personal Author:
  Weaver, Kelly ; Blackwood, Catherine ; Lemons, Angela R. ; Snoderly, Hunter ; McKinney, Walter G. ; Green, Brett J. ; Croston, Tara L.
• Description:
  Rationale: Climate change increases occurrence of natural disasters, rising temperatures, and precipitation promoting expansion of fungal niches. Humans spend over 90% of their time indoors, leaving them highly susceptible to inhalation of fungal contaminants Aspergillus versicolor and Stachybotrys chartarum. Inflammation and cell infiltration in response to fungal exposure can cause allergic disease and are often mitigated by targeting IL-5 due to its role in eosinophil differentiation. To improve the assessment/treatment of fungal exposure, it's crucial to understand the role of IL-5 and the impact of biological sex. Methods: Mice (C57BL/6J or IL-5 genetic knockout) were exposed to HEPA-filtered air, S. chartarum (1x104), or A. versicolor (3x105) spores twice weekly for 13 weeks using an acoustical aerosol generator inhalation system. Twenty-four hours following final exposure, functional assessments and immunological responses were measured by whole body plethysmography, histology, antibody quantification, flow cytometry, and quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Results: Preliminary data suggests fungal exposure led to decreased respiratory function, and significantly increased cell infiltration and adaptive immune responses in wild-type mice. Responses to S. chartarum and A. versicolor exhibited differences in the lymphocyte and T helper response. Sex differences were observed between wild-type and IL-5-/- mice. Conclusions: Elucidating the role of IL-5 in the immune response to fungal exposure is imperative given the use of anti-IL-5 therapies against allergic disease. Understanding how the immune response is modulated 1) by species-specific differences in fungal contaminants, and 2) by sex as a biological variable is of paramount importance in development of strategies to assess and treat fungal-related respiratory diseases. Description provided by NIOSH
• Subjects:
  • Fungi
  • Occupational Health
  • Respiratory System
  • Safety
  • Sex Factors
• Keywords:
  • Fungi; Fungal infections; Immune reaction; Inhalation; Sex factors; Respiratory diseases; Respiratory function
• Source:
  J Allergy Clin Immunol 2025 Feb; 155(2)(Suppl):AB125
• ISSN:
  0091-6749
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Abstract or Summary
• Place as Subject:
  Chicago Region OSHA ; Indiana ; Philadelphia Region OSHA ; 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:
  2 pdf pages
• Volume:
  155
• Issue:
  2
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20071567
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2025
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/259342/cdc_259342_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 260.69 KB]
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:7617163dcdb11d97c35d37d2755ddf933730e6ce4603004f0558ca6ff3d97b94eaceac17f29c77370de200fa3928db86d5a23a381a359b3983757762d6733694