Indoor Exposure to Mould Allergens

Abstract

371 DOI: 10.2478/10004-1254-62-2011-2126 Review INDOOR EXPOSURE TO MOULD ALLERGENS Ljerka PRESTER Institute for Medical Research and Occupational Health, Zagreb, Croatia Received in June 2011 CrossChecked in December 2011 Accepted in December 2011 Humid indoor environments may be colonised by allergenic fi lamentous microfungi (moulds), Aspergillus spp., Penicillium spp., Cladosporium spp., and Alternaria spp. in particular. Mould-induced respiratory diseases are a worldwide problem. In the last two decades, mould allergens and glucans have been used as markers of indoor exposure to moulds. Recently, mould allergens Alt a 1 (Alternaria alternata) and Asp f 1 (Aspergillus fumigatus) have been analysed in various environments (residential and occupational) with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays, which use monoclonal or polyclonal antibodies. Household Alt a 1 and Asp f 1 levels were usually under the limit of the method detection. By contrast, higher levels of mould allergens were found in environments with high levels of bioaerosols such as poultry farms and sawmills. Data on allergen Alt a 1 and Asp f 1 levels in agricultural settings may provide information on possible colonisation of respective moulds and point out to mould-related diseases in occupants. KEY WORDS: Alt a 1, Asp f 1, A. alternata, A. fumigatus, ELISA, occupational exposure Prester Lj. DUST-BORNE Asp f 1 AND Alt a 1 Arh Hig Rada Toksikol 2011;62:371-380 Humans continuously inhale spores and fragments of allergenic moulds. Exposure to fungal allergens in outdoor and indoor environments might result in respiratory diseases in sensitive individuals (1). However, indoor exposure to mould allergens has not received due attention. This article gives a brief review of the fi ndings of Alt a 1 (Alternaria alternata) and Asp f 1 (Aspergillus fumigatus) as markers of mould exposure in various environments reported by us and other researchers. DISTRIBUTON OF MOULDS Outdoor environments Generally, Cladosporium s

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