Search Results (7)

Allergic conditions have surged to unprecedented levels globally, affecting approximately 30% of the population. Fungi are among the major sources of allergens, accounting for about 6% of respiratory issues. Identifying the causes of respiratory allergies is not always possible. Our study assessed the capacity of two plant parasites, Podosphaera fusca and Peronospora ficariae, which infect Cucurbita pepo and Ficaria verna, to provoke inflammatory and asthmatic reactions in mouse models of acute and chronic asthma. We performed experiments by sensitizing mice through intranasal challenges with extracts from P. fusca and P. ficariae. Subsequently, we used ELISA tests to measure pro-inflammatory cytokines, including IL-4, IL-5, IL-13, TNF-α, and TGF-β. We evaluated specific IgE production through ELISA and examined histological changes in mouse lungs using hematoxylin-eosin staining. Our research revealed that P. fusca and P. ficariae induced significant production of all tested cytokines, increased specific IgE levels, and caused histological changes characteristic of acute and chronic asthma progression. Although weaker than the reference allergen ovalbumin, P. fusca and P. ficariae possess proinflammatory and asthma-inducing capabilities, indicating the potential to expand the current list of fungal allergens. Full article

During fermentation, bacterial and fungal species synthesize substrate-specific enzymes to obtain nutrients. During this process, potential allergenic products, including immunologically important gluten peptides, can be created. Current protocols for assessing the levels of these peptides often overlook the specific gluten source. In this study, wheat sources provided by commercial enzyme suppliers underwent gluten extraction before being pooled into a Complete Gluten Mix, which then underwent variations of hydrolysis utilizing the digestive enzymes, pepsin and trypsin complexes. The resulting gluten peptide profiles were examined using the Wes automated Western blot system to confirm the presence of small, immunologically relevant gluten peptides. These hydrolysates were further tested for suitability as a relevant calibrant against commercially available ELISA standards. The PT3 calibrant, a hydrolyzed version of the Complete Gluten Mix, was found to be the most suitable, as it contained <50 kDa gluten peptides and gave similar absorbance readings to the majority of ELISA kit standards tested, and overlaid the GlutenTox^® Competitive G12 antibody calibration curve, which was designed against the 33-mer immunogenic peptide from wheat. Additionally, no gluten bands were observed on the Wes for the enzymes of interest, which was confirmed through ELISA analysis. Full article

Fungi are an important part of the atmospheric ecosystem yet an underexplored group. Airborne pathogenic fungi are the root cause of hypersensitive and allergenic states highly prevalent in Kuwait. Frequent dust storms in the region carry them further into the urban areas, posing an occupational health hazard. The fungal population associated with the respirable (more than 2.5 µm) and inhalable (2.5 µm and less) fractions of aerosols is negligibly explored and warrants comprehensive profiling to pinpoint tAhe health implications. For the present investigation, aerosol was collected using a high-volume air sampler coupled with a six-stage cascade impactor (Tisch Environmental, Inc) at a rate of 566 L min⁻¹. The samples were lysed, DNA was extracted, and the internal transcribed regions were sequenced through targeted amplicon sequencing. Aspergillus, Penicillium, Alternaria, Cladosporium, Fusarium, Gleotinia and Cryptococcus were recorded in all the size fractions with mean relative abundances (RA%) of 17.5%, 12.9%, 12.9%, 4.85%, 4.08%, 2.77%, and 2.51%, respectively. A weak community structure was associated with each size fraction (ANOSIM r² = 0.11; p > 0.05). The Shannon and Simpson indices also varied among the respirable and inhalable aerosols. About 24 genera were significantly differentially abundant, as described through the Wilcoxon rank sum test (p < 0.05). The fungal microbiome existed as a complex lattice of networks exhibiting both positive and negative correlations and were involved in 428 functions. All the predominant genera were pathogenic, hence, their presence in inhalable fractions raises concerns and poses an occupational exposure risk to both human and non-human biota. Moreover, long-range transport of these fungi to urban locations is undesirable yet plausible. Full article

Fungal allergy is a worldwide public health burden, and problems associated with a reliable allergy diagnosis are far from being solved. Especially, the lack of high-quality standardized fungal extracts contributes to the underdiagnosis of fungal allergy. Compared to the manufacturing processes of extracts from other allergen sources, the processes used to manufacture extracts from fungi show the highest variability. The reasons for the high variability are manifold as the starting material, the growth conditions, the protein extraction methods, and the storage conditions all have an influence on the presence and quantity of individual allergens. Despite the vast variety of studies that have analyzed the impact of the different production steps on the allergenicity of fungal allergen extracts, much remains unknown. This review points to the need for further research in the field of fungal allergology, for standardization and for generally accepted guidelines on the preparation of fungal allergen extracts. In particular, the standardization of fungal extracts has been and will continue to be difficult, but it will be crucial for improving allergy diagnosis and therapy. Full article

Fungal allergy is the third most frequent cause of respiratory pathologies and the most related to a poor prognosis of asthma. The genera Alternaria and Cladosporium are the most frequently associated with allergic respiratory diseases, with Alternaria being the one with the highest prevalence of sensitization. Alternaria alternata is an outdoor fungus whose spores disseminate in warm and dry air, reaching peak levels in temperate summers. Alternaria can also be found in damp and insufficiently ventilated houses, causing what is known as sick building syndrome. Thus, exposure to fungal allergens can occur outdoors and indoors. However, not only spores but also fungal fragments contain detectable amounts of allergens and may function as aeroallergenic sources. Allergenic extracts of Alternaria hyphae and spores are still in use for the diagnosis and treatment of allergic diseases but are variable and insufficiently standardised, as they are often a random mixture of allergenic ingredients and casual impurities. Thus, diagnosis of fungal allergy has been difficult, and knowledge about new fungal allergens is stuck. The number of allergens described in Fungi remains almost constant while new allergens are being found in the Plantae and Animalia kingdoms. Given Alt a 1 is not the unique Alternaria allergen eliciting allergy symptoms, component-resolved diagnosis strategies should be applied to diagnose fungal allergy. To date, twelve A. alternata allergens are accepted in the WHO/IUIS Allergen Nomenclature Subcommittee, many of them are enzymes: Alt a 4 (disulfide isomerase), Alt a 6 (enolase), Alt a 8 (mannitol de-hydrogenase), Alt a 10 (aldehyde dehydrogenase), Alt a 13 (glutathione-S-transferase) and Alt a MnSOD (Mn superoxide dismutase), and others have structural and regulatory functions such as Alt a 5 and Alt a 12, Alt a 3, Alt a 7. The function of Alt a 1 and Alt a 9 remains unknown. Other four allergens are included in other medical databases (e.g., Allergome): Alt a NTF2, Alt a TCTP, and Alt a 70 kDa. Despite Alt a 1 being the A. alternata major allergen, other allergens, such as enolase, Alt a 6 or MnSOD, Alt a 14 have been suggested to be included in the diagnosis panel of fungal allergy. Full article

Bioaerosols often contain human pathogens and allergens affecting public health. However, relatively little attention has been given to bioaerosols compared with non-biological aerosols. In this study, we aimed to identify bioaerosol compositions in Manchester, UK by applying high throughput sequencing methods and to find potential sources. Samples were collected at Manchester Air Quality Super Site at the Firs Environmental Research Station in November 2019 and in February 2020. Total DNA has been extracted and sequenced targeting the 16S rRNA gene of prokaryotes, ITS region of fungal DNA and 18S rRNA gene of eukaryotes. We found marine environment-associated bacteria and archaea were relatively more abundant in the February 2020 samples compared with the November 2019 samples, consistent with the North West marine origin based on wind back-trajectory analysis. In contrast, an OTU belonging to Methylobacterium, which includes many species resistant to heavy metals, was relatively more abundant in November 2019 when there were higher metal concentrations. Fungal taxa that fruit all year were relatively more abundant in the February 2020 samples while autumn fruiting species generally had higher relative abundance in the November 2019 samples. There were higher relative abundances of land plants and algae in the February 2020 samples based on 18S rRNA gene sequencing. One of the OTUs belonging to the coniferous yew genus Taxus was more abundant in the February 2020 samples agreeing with the usual pollen season of yews in the UK which is from mid-January until late April. The result from this study suggests a potential application of bioaerosol profiling for tracing the source of atmospheric particles. Full article

Aeroallergens such us the spores of Alternaria alternata are described as the most important agents associated with respiratory allergies and severe asthma. Various experimental models of asthma have been developed using A. alternata extracts to study the pathogenesis of asthma, establishing the main parameters that trigger the asthmatic response. In this study, we describe a mouse model of asthma induced only by Alt a 1. To induce the allergic response, mice were challenged intranasally with the major allergen of A. alternata, Alt a 1. The presence of eosinophils in the lungs, elevated concentrations of Th2 family cytokines, lymphocyte proliferation and elevated IgE total serum levels indicated that the sensitisation and challenge with Alt a 1 induced the development of airway inflammation. Histological studies showed an eosinophilic cellular infiltrate in the lung tissue of mice instilled with Alt a 1. We demonstrate that Alt a 1 alone is capable of inducing a lung inflammatory response with an increase in IgE serum levels mimicking the allergic asthma immunoresponse when it is administered into BALB/c mice. This model will allow the evaluation of the immunoregulatory or immunotolerant capacity of several molecules that can be used in targeted immunotherapy for fungal allergic asthma. Full article