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Dustborne Fungal Diversity in Middle-Income Homes in New York City and Determinants for Domestic Exposure
AB18 Abstracts
SATURDAY
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Dustborne Fungal Diversity in Middle-Income Homes in New York City and Determinants for Domestic Exposure Luis M. Acosta, MD1, Nitzan Soffer, PhD1, Adnan Divjan1, Merissa McGraw-Boitnotte2, Edward Sobek, PhD2, Angela R. Lemons3, Matthew S. Perzanowski, PhD4, Brett J. Green, PhD3; 1Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, 2Assured Bio Labs, Oak Ridge, TN, 3CDC/ NIOSH/ACIB, Morgantown, WV, 4Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York City, NY. RATIONALE: Recent advances in quantitative polymerase chain reaction methodologies help overcome limitations associated with traditional methods of fungal exposure assessment and provide a sensitive and specific approach to evaluate and quantify fungal diversity. We hypothesize that abundance/types of domestic dustborne fungi vary across NYC middle-income housing by neighborhood, home habits and housing type. METHODS: In this study, 7-8 year-old children (n5347) living in higher (11-18%) and lower (3-9%) asthma prevalence neighborhoods (HAPN and LAPN, respectively) were recruited as part of the New York City (NYC) Neighborhood Asthma and Allergy Study, an asthma case-control study. Bedroom floor dust from homes in HAPN (n5139) and LAPN (n5142) were collected and analyzed by qPCR for 36 fungal species (Environmental Relative Moldiness Index panel). Differences in fungal abundances were tested across factors chosen a prioribased on their potential to influence mold growth. RESULTS: Due to low abundances of fungi in dust samples (<10 spores/ mg, >10% per sample), 20 of 36 fungal species were included in statistical tests. The abundance of Mucor amphibiorum and Cladosporium sphaerospermum were both reduced in homes where shoe removal was reported (p <0.01). Only Penicillium glabrum was elevated with participant reports of indoor mold (p<0.01). Aureobasidium pullulans, Penicillium glabrum, Wallemia sebi and Alternaria alternatavaried by housing type (single, multi-family or apartment) and neighborhood asthma prevalence. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, these preliminary results indicate that multiple environmental factors including anthropogenic behavior modification, housing type, and neighborhood are important variables that influence fungal diversity within middle-income homes in New York City.
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Fungal Viability Is Essential in Modulating of Adaptive Immune Responses in Mice Brett J. Green, PhD1, Ajay P. Nayak, PhD1, Tara L. Croston, PhD1, Angela R. Lemons1, Nikki B. Marshall, PhD1, W. Travis Goldsmith2, Michael Kashon, PhD3, Brandon F. Law1, Lauren M. Wagner, PhD1, Carrie M. Long1, Dori M. Germolec, PhD4, Donald H. Beezhold, PhD, FAAAAI1; 1CDC/NIOSH/ACIB, Morgantown, WV, 2CDC/NIOSH/ PPRB, Morgantown, WV, 3CDC/NIOSH/BEB, Morgantown, WV, 4 NTP/NIEHS, Research Triangle Park, NC. RATIONALE: Conidial viability and germination have been previously shown in vitro to result in release of allergens. The role of fungal viability in modulating the murine adaptive immune responses is less characterized. The aim of this study was to determine if repeated exposures to heat inactivated conidia (HIC) resulted in the expansion of an allergic adaptive immune response. METHODS: B6C3F1/N mice were repeatedly dosed with dry viable conidia or HIC derived from A. fumigatus. The conidia were aerosolized using an acoustical generation system and delivered to mice in a noseonly exposure chamber (2/wk, 13 wks). Twenty-four and 48 hours following the final dose, flow cytometry analysis, histopathology, and gene expression studies were conducted to characterize adaptive immune responses. RESULTS: Repeated exposures to viable conidia but not HIC resulted in goblet cell metaplasia and mucus production in the bronchioles. CD4+ T cells (TH) expressing cytokines associated with an allergic phenotype (TH2; IL5, IL-13, IL-9 and IL-22) were present in significantly higher numbers in the airways of animals dosed with viable conidia. In contrast, TH cells expressed IFN-g in mice dosed with HIC. Exposures to HIC
J ALLERGY CLIN IMMUNOL FEBRUARY 2015
stimulated the expansion of B cells in mediastinal lymph nodes, but were significantly less compared to animals dosed with viable conidia. CONCLUSIONS: Findings demonstrate that repeated subchronic exposures to viable A. fumigatus conidia lead to an allergic phenotype. This response was not observed in mice treated with HIC. This study further demonstrates that fungal viability is a critical component associated with fungal exposures that impacts TH1/TH2 differentiation in mice.
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Comparison of Outdoor Ground Level Airborne Fungal Spore Concentrations with Those of a Roof Mounted Regional Collector Minati Dhar, Ph.D1, Freddy Pacheco, MS2, Jay M. Portnoy3, Charles S. Barnes, PhD2; 1Children’s Mercy Hospital & Clinics, Kansas City, MO, 2 Children’s Mercy Hospital, Kansas City, MO, 3Department of Pediatric Allergy & Immunology, Children’s Mercy Hospital & Clinics, Kansas City, MO. RATIONALE: Airborne fungal spore concentrations are related to allergic disease. To compare the airborne spore concentrations generated by a roof mounted regional spore collector with those taken at ground level on the same day in the same region we conducted the following. METHODS: Pairs of spore counts on 100 randomly chosen days from 2003 to 2014 were evaluated. Regional collections were on a 5-story building centrally located in an urban area using a Burkard collector mounted according to NAB specifications. Ground level collections were with a portable spore trap device located 1 meter from ground level at various locations within 20 miles of the central collector. Spores were enumerated by a NAB certified counter. Statistical evaluations were based upon logarithm of the values. RESULTS: The logarithm of the spore estimates for both sets of data was normally distributed. Total spore estimates for the ground level collector ranged from 46,044 to 171 per cubic meter of air. Total spore estimates for the regional collector ranged from 25,590 to 354 per cubic meter of air. Correlation for total spores was strong ( r 5 0.66). The best correlations for major spores was for cladosporium (r 5 0.62) and ascospores (r 5 0.60). On 30% of dates ground level collections were >10% higher and on 15% of dates regional collections were >10% higher. CONCLUSIONS: Although ground level airborne spores are generally in higher concentration a centrally located regional collector gives a good estimation of spores present on a given day.
SATURDAY
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Dustborne Fungal Diversity in Middle-Income Homes in New York City and Determinants for Domestic Exposure Luis M. Acosta, MD1, Nitzan Soffer, PhD1, Adnan Divjan1, Merissa McGraw-Boitnotte2, Edward Sobek, PhD2, Angela R. Lemons3, Matthew S. Perzanowski, PhD4, Brett J. Green, PhD3; 1Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, 2Assured Bio Labs, Oak Ridge, TN, 3CDC/ NIOSH/ACIB, Morgantown, WV, 4Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York City, NY. RATIONALE: Recent advances in quantitative polymerase chain reaction methodologies help overcome limitations associated with traditional methods of fungal exposure assessment and provide a sensitive and specific approach to evaluate and quantify fungal diversity. We hypothesize that abundance/types of domestic dustborne fungi vary across NYC middle-income housing by neighborhood, home habits and housing type. METHODS: In this study, 7-8 year-old children (n5347) living in higher (11-18%) and lower (3-9%) asthma prevalence neighborhoods (HAPN and LAPN, respectively) were recruited as part of the New York City (NYC) Neighborhood Asthma and Allergy Study, an asthma case-control study. Bedroom floor dust from homes in HAPN (n5139) and LAPN (n5142) were collected and analyzed by qPCR for 36 fungal species (Environmental Relative Moldiness Index panel). Differences in fungal abundances were tested across factors chosen a prioribased on their potential to influence mold growth. RESULTS: Due to low abundances of fungi in dust samples (<10 spores/ mg, >10% per sample), 20 of 36 fungal species were included in statistical tests. The abundance of Mucor amphibiorum and Cladosporium sphaerospermum were both reduced in homes where shoe removal was reported (p <0.01). Only Penicillium glabrum was elevated with participant reports of indoor mold (p<0.01). Aureobasidium pullulans, Penicillium glabrum, Wallemia sebi and Alternaria alternatavaried by housing type (single, multi-family or apartment) and neighborhood asthma prevalence. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, these preliminary results indicate that multiple environmental factors including anthropogenic behavior modification, housing type, and neighborhood are important variables that influence fungal diversity within middle-income homes in New York City.
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Fungal Viability Is Essential in Modulating of Adaptive Immune Responses in Mice Brett J. Green, PhD1, Ajay P. Nayak, PhD1, Tara L. Croston, PhD1, Angela R. Lemons1, Nikki B. Marshall, PhD1, W. Travis Goldsmith2, Michael Kashon, PhD3, Brandon F. Law1, Lauren M. Wagner, PhD1, Carrie M. Long1, Dori M. Germolec, PhD4, Donald H. Beezhold, PhD, FAAAAI1; 1CDC/NIOSH/ACIB, Morgantown, WV, 2CDC/NIOSH/ PPRB, Morgantown, WV, 3CDC/NIOSH/BEB, Morgantown, WV, 4 NTP/NIEHS, Research Triangle Park, NC. RATIONALE: Conidial viability and germination have been previously shown in vitro to result in release of allergens. The role of fungal viability in modulating the murine adaptive immune responses is less characterized. The aim of this study was to determine if repeated exposures to heat inactivated conidia (HIC) resulted in the expansion of an allergic adaptive immune response. METHODS: B6C3F1/N mice were repeatedly dosed with dry viable conidia or HIC derived from A. fumigatus. The conidia were aerosolized using an acoustical generation system and delivered to mice in a noseonly exposure chamber (2/wk, 13 wks). Twenty-four and 48 hours following the final dose, flow cytometry analysis, histopathology, and gene expression studies were conducted to characterize adaptive immune responses. RESULTS: Repeated exposures to viable conidia but not HIC resulted in goblet cell metaplasia and mucus production in the bronchioles. CD4+ T cells (TH) expressing cytokines associated with an allergic phenotype (TH2; IL5, IL-13, IL-9 and IL-22) were present in significantly higher numbers in the airways of animals dosed with viable conidia. In contrast, TH cells expressed IFN-g in mice dosed with HIC. Exposures to HIC
J ALLERGY CLIN IMMUNOL FEBRUARY 2015
stimulated the expansion of B cells in mediastinal lymph nodes, but were significantly less compared to animals dosed with viable conidia. CONCLUSIONS: Findings demonstrate that repeated subchronic exposures to viable A. fumigatus conidia lead to an allergic phenotype. This response was not observed in mice treated with HIC. This study further demonstrates that fungal viability is a critical component associated with fungal exposures that impacts TH1/TH2 differentiation in mice.
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Comparison of Outdoor Ground Level Airborne Fungal Spore Concentrations with Those of a Roof Mounted Regional Collector Minati Dhar, Ph.D1, Freddy Pacheco, MS2, Jay M. Portnoy3, Charles S. Barnes, PhD2; 1Children’s Mercy Hospital & Clinics, Kansas City, MO, 2 Children’s Mercy Hospital, Kansas City, MO, 3Department of Pediatric Allergy & Immunology, Children’s Mercy Hospital & Clinics, Kansas City, MO. RATIONALE: Airborne fungal spore concentrations are related to allergic disease. To compare the airborne spore concentrations generated by a roof mounted regional spore collector with those taken at ground level on the same day in the same region we conducted the following. METHODS: Pairs of spore counts on 100 randomly chosen days from 2003 to 2014 were evaluated. Regional collections were on a 5-story building centrally located in an urban area using a Burkard collector mounted according to NAB specifications. Ground level collections were with a portable spore trap device located 1 meter from ground level at various locations within 20 miles of the central collector. Spores were enumerated by a NAB certified counter. Statistical evaluations were based upon logarithm of the values. RESULTS: The logarithm of the spore estimates for both sets of data was normally distributed. Total spore estimates for the ground level collector ranged from 46,044 to 171 per cubic meter of air. Total spore estimates for the regional collector ranged from 25,590 to 354 per cubic meter of air. Correlation for total spores was strong ( r 5 0.66). The best correlations for major spores was for cladosporium (r 5 0.62) and ascospores (r 5 0.60). On 30% of dates ground level collections were >10% higher and on 15% of dates regional collections were >10% higher. CONCLUSIONS: Although ground level airborne spores are generally in higher concentration a centrally located regional collector gives a good estimation of spores present on a given day.