Fungal spores: hazardous to health?

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Environ Health Perspect. 1999 June; 107(Suppl 3): 469–472.

http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=1566211

Research Article

Fungal spores: hazardous to health?

W G Sorenson

Division of Respiratory Disease Studies, National Institute for

Occupational Safety and Health, town, WV 26505, USA.

wgs1@...

Abstract

Fungi have long been known to affect human well being in various

ways, including disease of essential crop plants, decay of stored

foods with possible concomitant production of mycotoxins,

superficial and systemic infection of human tissues, and disease

associated with immune stimulation such as hypersensitivity

pneumonitis and toxic pneumonitis. The spores of a large number of

important fungi are less than 5 microm aerodynamic diameter, and

therefore are able to enter the lungs. They also may contain

significant amounts of mycotoxins. Diseases associated with

inhalation of fungal spores include toxic pneumonitis,

hypersensitivity pneumonitis, tremors, chronic fatigue syndrome,

kidney failure, and cancer.

[Guest guest]

Could someone pinch me??? Os this saying what I think it says?

tigerpaw2c <tigerpaw2c@...> wrote: Fungal

Spores: Hazardous to Health?

W.G. Sorenson

http://www.ehponline.org/members/1999/suppl-3/469-

472sorenson/sorenson-full.html

Division of Respiratory Disease Studies, National Institute for

Occupational Safety and Health, town, West Virginia USA

Background

Mycotoxins and Mycotoxigenic Fungi

Health Effects Linked with Inhalation of Mycotoxins

Mycotoxins in Spores

Effects of Mycotoxins on Alveolar Macrophages and Immune Function

Abstract

Fungi have long been known to affect human well being in various

ways, including disease of essential crop plants, decay of stored

foods with possible concomitant production of mycotoxins,

superficial and systemic infection of human tissues, and disease

associated with immune stimulation such as hypersensitivity

pneumonitis and toxic pneumonitis. The spores of a large number of

important fungi are less than 5 µm aerodynamic diameter, and

therefore are able to enter the lungs. They also may contain

significant amounts of mycotoxins. Diseases associated with

inhalation of fungal spores include toxic pneumonitis,

hypersensitivity pneumonitis, tremors, chronic fatigue syndrome,

kidney failure, and cancer. Key words: mold, fungi, mycotoxin, lung

disease, toxic pneumonitis. -- Environ Health Perspect 107(suppl

3) :469-472 (1999) .

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[Guest guest]

I think this (the below) is also relevant.

So, I am asking WHY the focus on spores only?

Molds produce toxins but the toxins and the spores are not connected

physically. Spores are basically the seeds, one way that fungi

reproduce. (not the only way, though)

Particles (which are basically mold dust, dust from all the mold, not

just the seeds)

can hold more mycotoxins than spores in many situations. (and the

toxins on the smallest particles go the deepest into the lungs)

Water can also dissolve toxins from mold in walls which goes on to be

concentrated elsewhere (wherever that water eventually dries up)

So why do they sometimes test for spores only? Is it just because

spore testing is the cheapest?

Sure, spores show that mold was there at that place and time, but the

lack of spores shows nothing except that there were no spores there.

It doesn't relate directly to building toxicity.

Testing should be done for toxins and particles too. When trying to

determine if a building is safe, first it should be cleaned and all

moldy building materials removed, especially from inside the walls.

Since you can have toxins without spores the toxin test is the most important.

The first paper shows how the toxins can be a completely separate

thing than spores.. the second shows how particles smaller than

spores, which go right through tiny holes in walls, can be very toxic.

The third shows why tests that just measure spores often miss

stachybotrys hiding insides of walls..

the others show how water can dissolve mold toxins which may explain

the greasy toxic dust that coats everything and which lasts for

years..making people sick.

Mycopathologia. 2004 Jul;158(1):87-97.

Protein translation inhibition by Stachybotrys chartarum conidia

with and without the mycotoxin containing polysaccharide matrix.

Karunasena E, Cooley JD, Straus D, Straus DC.

Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Texas Tech University

Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX 79430, USA.

Recent studies have correlated the presence of Stachybotrys

chartarum in structures with SBS. S. chartarum produces mycotoxins

that are thought to produce some of the symptoms reported in

sick-building syndrome (SBS). The conidia (spores) produced by

Stachybotrys species are not commonly found in the air of buildings

that have been found to contain significant interior growth of this

organism. This could be due in part to the large size of the

Stachybotrys spores, or the organism growing in hidden areas such as

wall cavities. However, individuals in buildings with significant

Stachybotrys growth frequently display symptoms that may be attributed

to exposure to the organism's mycotoxins. In addition, Stachybotrys

colonies produce a " slime " or polysaccharide (carbohydrate) matrix

that coats the hyphae and the spores. The intent of this project was

to determine whether the carbohydrate matrix and the mycotoxins

embedded in it could be removed from the spores by repeated washings

with either aqueous or organic solvents. The results demonstrated that

the process of spore washing removed compounds that were toxic in a

protein translation assay as compared to spores that were washed with

an organic solution, however a correlation between carbohydrate

removal during the washing process and the removal of mycotoxins from

the spore surface was not observed. These data demonstrated that

mycotoxins are not likely to be found exclusively in the carbohydrate

matrix of the spores. Therefore, mycotoxin removal from the spore

surface can occur without significant loss of polysaccharide. We also

showed that toxic substances may be removed from the spore surface

with an aqueous solution. These results suggest that satratoxins are

soluble in aqueous solutions without being bound to water-soluble

moieties, such as the carbohydrate slime matrix.

PMID: 15487326 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Appl Environ Microbiol. 2005 Jan;71(1):114-22.

Detection of airborne Stachybotrys chartarum macrocyclic

trichothecene mycotoxins on particulates smaller than conidia.

Brasel TL, DR, SC, Straus DC.

Department of Microbiology and Immunology, TTUHSC, 3601 4th St.,

Lubbock, TX 79430, USA.

Highly respirable particles (diameter, <1 microm) constitute the

majority of particulate matter found in indoor air. It is hypothesized

that these particles serve as carriers for toxic compounds,

specifically the compounds produced by molds in water-damaged

buildings. The presence of airborne Stachybotrys chartarum

trichothecene mycotoxins on particles smaller than conidia (e.g.,

fungal fragments) was therefore investigated. Cellulose ceiling tiles

with confluent Stachybotrys growth were placed in gas-drying

containers through which filtered air was passed. Exiting particulates

were collected by using a series of polycarbonate membrane filters

with decreasing pore sizes. Scanning electron microscopy was employed

to determine the presence of conidia on the filters. A competitive

enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) specific for macrocyclic

trichothecenes was used to analyze filter extracts. Cross-reactivity

to various mycotoxins was examined to confirm the specificity.

Statistically significant (P < 0.05) ELISA binding was observed

primarily for macrocyclic trichothecenes at concentrations of 50 and 5

ng/ml and 500 pg/ml (58.4 to 83.5% inhibition). Of the remaining

toxins tested, only verrucarol and diacetylverrucarol (nonmacrocyclic

trichothecenes) demonstrated significant binding (18.2 and 51.7%

inhibition, respectively) and then only at high concentrations. The

results showed that extracts from conidium-free filters demonstrated

statistically significant (P < 0.05) antibody binding that increased

with sampling time (38.4 to 71.9% inhibition, representing a range of

0.5 to 4.0 ng/ml). High-performance liquid chromatography analysis

suggested the presence of satratoxin H in conidium-free filter

extracts. These data show that S. chartarum trichothecene mycotoxins

can become airborne in association with intact conidia or smaller

particles. These findings may have important implications for indoor

air quality assessment.

PMID: 15640178 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17267247

Fungal Genet Biol. 2007 Jul;44(7):641-7. Epub 2006 Dec 24.

Biomechanics of conidial dispersal in the toxic mold Stachybotrys chartarum.

Tucker K, Stolze JL, Kennedy AH, Money NP.

Department of Botany, Miami University, Oxford, OH 45056, USA.

Conidial dispersal in Stachybotrys chartarum in response to

low-velocity airflow was studied using a microflow apparatus. The

maximum rate of spore release occurred during the first 5 min of

airflow, followed by a dramatic reduction in dispersal that left more

than 99% of the conidia attached to their conidiophores.

Micromanipulation of undisturbed colonies showed that micronewton

(microN) forces were needed to dislodge spore clusters from their

supporting conidiophores. Calculations show that airspeeds that

normally prevail in the indoor environment disturb colonies with

forces that are 1000-fold lower, in the nanonewton (nN) range.

Low-velocity airflow does not, therefore, cause sufficient disturbance

to disperse a large proportion of the conidia of S. chartarum.

PMID: 17267247 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Appl Environ Microbiol. 1982 Aug;44(2):494-5.

Identification of " water-soluble " toxins produced by a

Stachybotrys atra strain from Finland.

Harrach B, Nummi M, Niku-Paavola ML, Mirocha CJ, Palyusik M.

Toxins of a Stachybotrys atra strain from Finland proved to be

soluble in a simulated gastrointestinal system. They were purified and

characterized as satratoxin H, satratoxin G, and an unknown

macrocyclic trichothecene with a molecular ion of 528.

PMID: 6889838 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Ann Nutr Aliment. 1977;31(4-6):761-70.Links

Water soluble toxins of Stachybotrys alternans.

Nummi N, Niku-Paavola ML.

To attempt to clarify the mechanism of the action of mycotoxins

under physiological conditions, the effect of simulated

gastrointestinal conditions on the toxicity of Stachybotrys alternans

was studied. Components, extracted into a simulated gastrointestinal

system and into organic solvents were compared, regarding toxicity and

chromatographic properties, with particular reference to a

chromatographically characterized Stachybotrys-toxin found by us. It

was established that, in addition to those toxic components which were

soluble in organic solvents, some toxic, highly water soluble

substances were extracted from the fungal culture by the

gastrointestinal system. The total toxicity extracted by organic

solvents was about fifteen times as much as the toxicity extracted by

the simulated system, as measured by cell toxicity tests. All of the

toxicity can be transferred from the fungus culture to the aqueous

simulated system. This means that the simulated system altered the

nature of the toxic components extractible with organic solvents.

PMID: 566068 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

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the ehponline article is from 1999.