U of Cincinnati: Airborne Mold Spores Increase KIds' Risk for Multiple Allergies

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Airborne Mold Spores Increase Kids’ Risk for Multiple Allergies

A new study study suggests that exposure to specific airborne fungal spores

may increase allergic reactions and others could help reduce them.

Date: 6/14/2006 12:01:00 AM

By: _ Harper_ (mailto:amanda.harper@...)

Phone: (513) 558-4657

University of Cincinnati (UC) researchers say exposure to a certain group of

fungal spores—abundant in the air that we breathe every day—can make young

children more susceptible to developing multiple allergies later in life.

The team found that infants who were exposed to basidiospores and other

airborne fungal spores—specifically penicillium/aspergillus and

alternaria—early

in life were more likely to develop allergies to mold, pollen, dust mites,

pet dander and certain foods as they grew older.

This is the first study to show a relationship between specific airborne

fungal spores and an increased risk for multiple allergies in children, the UC

team reports in an upcoming edition of Pediatric Allergy and Immunology and an

early online edition June 14.

A fungus is a plantlike organism that grows by releasing tiny reproductive

cells (spores) into the air. Mold is a type of fungus that can grow on any

moist surface—including wood, drywall and cement.

Previous allergy studies focused on visible mold or total mold

concentrations, not the identification of specific airborne fungal spores. The

UC-led

study showed that exposure to specific airborne fungal spores may increase

allergic reactions and others could help reduce them.

These findings reinforce the idea that not all fungi are created equal, says

Tiina Reponen, PhD, professor of environmental health at UC and corresponding

author on the study.

“It turns out that the health effects of airborne fungal spores are more

complicated than we thought,†she says. “It’s not enough to look just at

total

mold in our homes and offices. We need to understand how specific types of

mold interact with each other in the environment to affect our respiratory

health. Some fungi can have harmful effects on the body, but others may be

beneficial.â€

“There are literally thousands of different types of mold in the air we

breathe,†adds Osborne, a graduate of UC’s environmental and

occupational hygiene program and study lead author. “But because mold exists

naturally

in the outdoors, it’s very difficult to completely remove mold spores from

the

air. "

Osborne conducted this research while pursuing her master’s at UC and is

currently employed as an environmental consultant at Quantus Analytical, a mold

and allergen laboratory and consulting group in Cincinnati.

Using a small air sampling device, the UC research team collected fungal

spores from the homes of 144 infants enrolled in the Cincinnati Childhood

Allergy and Air Pollution Study (CCAAPS).

The CCAAPS, funded by the National Institute of Environmental Health

Sciences, is a five-year study examining the effects of environmental

particulates

on childhood respiratory health and allergy development.

Air samples were collected for a total of 48 hours in the child’s primary

activity room and in the child’s bedroom during sleep. Samples were analyzed

for

both total and individual spore counts.

“We found that, at least in children, some fungi may cause allergic

sensitization while other fungal types may actually inhibit the development of

allergies,†explains Osborne.

“But very little is known about how infant allergies to environmental

allergens develop,†she adds, “and more research is needed before we will

fully

understand the impact of fungi as an allergen—in infants.â€

If mold is found in the home, the UC team recommends following the

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-accepted guidelines for removing it. They

also

say any moisture issues, such as roof or plumbing leaks, should be resolved

immediately to avoid mold development. Additional information on household mold

issues can be found at _www.epa.gov/moldresources.html_

(http://www.epa.gov/moldresources.html) .

Collaborators in this study include UC’s Atin Adhikari, PhD, Sergey

Grinshpun, PhD, Levin, PhD, Bernstein, MD, and Grace LeMasters, PhD,

principal investigator of the CCAAPS and Seung-Hyun Cho, PhD, of the EPA.