J ALLERGY CLIN IMMUNOL

VOLUME 129, NUMBER 2

Abstracts AB17

SATURDAY

64 Exposure to Smaller-Sized Fungal Fragments in Homes with a

Childhood AsthmaticS. Seo1, Y. Cho1, J. Choi1, Y. Yoo2, D. Kim3, J. Choung2; 1Korea Univer-

sity, Seoul, REPUBLIC OF KOREA, 2Korea University Medical Center,

Seoul, REPUBLIC OF KOREA, 3Department of Public Administration,

North Carolina Central University, Durham, NC.

RATIONALE: Much scientific evidence shows positive associations

between moldy environments and respiratory illnesses and/or symptoms.

Recently, submicron fungal fragments (< 1.0 mm) have been suggested as a

potential contributor to adverse health effects due to their biological

composition (e.g., antigens, mycotoxins, (1-3)-b-D-glucan), as well as

their small size. However, the contribution of fungal fragments to exposure

and adverse health outcomes are poorly characterized, in particular homes

with childhood asthmatic.We characterized exposure to smaller-sized fun-

gal fragments between homes with and without child asthmatic.

METHODS: We visited all 30 homes with (n515) and without asthmatic

in Seoul, Korea, and sampled fungal fragments in a living room and a

child’s bedroom(s) along with outdoor sampling using NIOSH two-staged

samplers. (1-3)-b-D-glucan of fungal fragments analyzed by Limulus

Amebocyte lysate assay (LAL) has been used for quantifying the mold

exposure.

RESULTS: Themean age of asthmatics was 8.1 years, and they lived in an

apartment or a collective housing. The overall geometric mean of (1-3)-

b-D-glucan of fungal fragments was approximately three times higher in

homes with asthmatic (93.162.6 pg/m3) than without asthmatic

(33.962.5 pg/m3) (p<0.001). In particular, the GM of fungal fragments

for a child bedroom in homes with asthmatic (203.062.0) was around

four times higher than this for a living room (52.061.9) (p<0.001).

Similarly, the indoor measurement was around 2.6 times higher than the

outdoor level, but results were not significant (p>0.05).

CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that much exposure to smaller-

sized mold may occur in homes with asthmatic. However, further research

including seasonal samplings may be necessary.

65 Effect of meteorological parameters on airborne fungal sporecounts: Sixteen Year Study (1995-2010) in Sarasota, Fl

N. Talreja, M. Jelks, M. Haq, G. Hellerman, D. K. Ledford, R. F. Lockey;

University Of South Florida, Tampa, FL.

RATIONALE: Fungal spores are associated with atmospheric bio-pollu-

tion and have long been known to trigger allergic respiratory diseases in

sensitive individuals; yet little is known about the change in fungal spore

counts (FSC) over the last 16 years in relation to global warming.

METHODS: Fungal spores were sampled daily between January 1995 to

December 2010 in Sarasota by using a Burkard volumetric trap. The same

person (MJ) personally identified the spores microscopically based upon

morphological structure.Weather data for Sarasota were obtained from the

National Climatic Data Center. Daily averages of temperature, relative

humidity and wind speed were used to investigate change in spore

concentrations in relation to meteorological parameters.

RESULTS: Using the Pearson’s correlation test, FSC are positively

correlated to daily mean temperature(r50.31, P<0.001), relative humidity

(r50.23, P<0.001) and negatively correlated to wind speed (r5-0.04,

P<0.001). Using linear multivariate regression analysis with meteorolog-

ical parameters as independent variables, daily mean temperature and

relative humidity remained statistically significant to FSC over the last 16

years (p<0.001 for both).

CONCLUSIONS: Daily mean temperature and relative humidity are

positively correlated with FSC. These observations predict that exposure to

airborne fungal allergen will likely increase with continued global

warming.

66 Profiling of Endotoxin Induced Immune Regulatory Network inOvalbumin Sensitized Mice

S. Kumar, E. Kettleson, M. T. Borchers, J. Chakrabarti, T. Reponen, S. A.

Grinshpun, A. Adhikari; University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH.

RATIONALE: The role of endotoxin exposure in immune regulatory

network of airway allergy is still largely unexplored. We hypothesize a

significant alteration of immune regulatory cell populations [e.g., regula-

tory B cells (Breg), regulatory T cells (Treg)] and various subsets of dendritic

cells (DC) in lungs and spleen of ovalbumin (OVA) sensitized mice upon

endotoxin exposure.

METHODS: Age-matched C57BL/6 female mice (6-8-week old) were

immunized with intranasal delivery of 100 ng endotoxin (pure lipopoly-

saccharide in PBS) alone or with same amount of LPS plus 100 mg of OVA.After 24 h of the last immunization, both groups of mice were sacrificed

and spleen, lung, and blood were collected. Single cell suspension from

harvested tissue was prepared for flow cytometry analysis.

RESULTS: We found slightly higher trend for the proportions of Tregs, eo-

sinophil, and DCs (Gr-1+, CD11c+, CD4+ / CD11c+, CD205+, CD8+) in

the lung homogenates of endotoxin plus OVA treated micewhen compared

with mice treated with endotoxin only. Bregs (CD19+,CD5+ foxp3+) pop-

ulation were relatively high in both groups (17.86 1.4% in endotoxin plus

OVA treated mice and 19.1 6 3.8 % in mice treated with endotoxin only)

than Tregs (corresponding proportions: 4.6 6 1.4% and 6.05 6 1.5%).

Spleens from endotoxin plus OVA treated mice had significantly higher

(p < 0.05) amount of DCs (Gr-1+, CD11c+, CD4+) than mice treated

with endotoxin only.

CONCLUSIONS: Endotoxin exposure is associated with airway allergy

and inflammation by alteration of immune regulatory network particularly

with reference to regulatory T and B cells.

67 Airborne Fungus Diversity and Concentrations in Inner CityElementary Schools

S. N. Baxi1, W. J. Sheehan1, P. Permaul2, J. M. Gaffin1, D. Rao1, C. Fu3, C.

Rogers4, M. Muilenberg4, E. B. Hoffman5, D. R. Gold6, W. Phipatanakul1;1Children’s Hospital Boston, Boston, MA, 2Massachusetts General Hospi-

tal, Boston, MA, 3Channing Laboratory, Boston, MA, 4University of Mas-

sachusetts, Amherst, MA, 5Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA,6Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA.

RATIONALE: Fungal sensitization is a risk factor for increased asthma

morbidity. Students spend a large portion of their day at school and school

classrooms may be a source of fungal exposure. There are few studies that

describe fungus concentrations and species diversity in inner-city school

classrooms.

METHODS: Airborne fungal spore samples were collected from 12

inner-city elementary schools twice during the school year over two days

using a Burkard sampler. A total of 180 classroom samples were evaluated.

Slides were microscopically analyzed at 1000X magnification and results

were reported as spores per cubic meter of air (spores/m3) for the 8-hour

school day. Two 8-hour collection days were averaged for each classroom.

A ‘‘total fungus’’ category was calculated as the sum of the geometric

means of all species.

RESULTS: The ‘‘total fungus’’ per classroom was 270.546 3.62 spores/

m3 (geometric mean 6 standard deviation) and ranged from 15 to 15,845

spores/m3. The species with the highest concentrations included

Cladosporium (33.13 63.65, range 0-1459), Penicillium/Aspergillus

(26.5164.62, range 0-8585), Basidiospores (25.7668.23, range

0-11135), Smuts (18.7662.91, range 0-394), and Ascospores

(13.6364.48, range 0-956). The species found most commonly in class-

rooms included: Cladosporium (found in 96% of rooms), Smuts (89%),

Penicillium/Aspergillus (87%), Basidiospores (67%), Rusts (33%) and

Alternaria (27%).

CONCLUSIONS: There is variability in the concentrations and types of

fungal spores found in schools.