<i>Aspergillus</i> Conidia and Allergens in Outdoor Environment: A Health Hazard?
<i>Aspergillus</i> is a genus of saprophytic fungus widely distributed in the environment and associated with soil, decaying vegetation, or seeds. However, some species, such as <i>A. fumigatus</i>, are considered opportunistic pathogens in humans. Their conidia (asexual spor...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2023-05-01
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| Series: | Journal of Fungi |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2309-608X/9/6/624 |
| _version_ | 1797593975903748096 |
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| author | Concepción De Linares David Navarro Rut Puigdemunt Jordina Belmonte |
| author_facet | Concepción De Linares David Navarro Rut Puigdemunt Jordina Belmonte |
| author_sort | Concepción De Linares |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <i>Aspergillus</i> is a genus of saprophytic fungus widely distributed in the environment and associated with soil, decaying vegetation, or seeds. However, some species, such as <i>A. fumigatus</i>, are considered opportunistic pathogens in humans. Their conidia (asexual spores) and mycelia are associated with clinical diseases known as invasive aspergillosis (IA), mainly related to the respiratory tract, such as allergic asthma, allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA), or hypersensitivity. However, they can also disseminate to other organs, particularly the central nervous system. Due to the dispersal mechanism of the conidia through the air, airborne fungal particle measurement should be used to prevent and control this mold. This study aims to measure the outdoor airborne concentration of <i>Aspergillus</i> conidia and the Asp f 1 allergen concentration in Bellaterra (Barcelona, Spain) during 2021 and 2022, and to compare their dynamics to improve the understanding of the biology of this genus and contribute to a better diagnosis, prevention, and therapeutic measures in the face of possible health problems. The results show that both particles were airborne nearly all year round, but their concentrations showed no correlation. Due to Asp f 1 not being present in the conidia itself but being detectable during their germination and in hyphal fragments, we report the relevance of the aero-immunological analysis as a methodology to detect the potential pathogenic hazard of this fungus. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T02:16:09Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-26d9b7112d224d9db87b7c670ff0ae0a |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2309-608X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T02:16:09Z |
| publishDate | 2023-05-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Fungi |
| spelling | doaj.art-26d9b7112d224d9db87b7c670ff0ae0a2023-11-18T11:08:34ZengMDPI AGJournal of Fungi2309-608X2023-05-019662410.3390/jof9060624<i>Aspergillus</i> Conidia and Allergens in Outdoor Environment: A Health Hazard?Concepción De Linares0David Navarro1Rut Puigdemunt2Jordina Belmonte3Department of Botany, University of Granada, 18071 Granada, SpainDepartament de Biologia Animal, Biologia Vegetal i Ecologia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), 08193 Bellaterra, SpainDepartament de Biologia Animal, Biologia Vegetal i Ecologia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), 08193 Bellaterra, SpainDepartament de Biologia Animal, Biologia Vegetal i Ecologia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), 08193 Bellaterra, Spain<i>Aspergillus</i> is a genus of saprophytic fungus widely distributed in the environment and associated with soil, decaying vegetation, or seeds. However, some species, such as <i>A. fumigatus</i>, are considered opportunistic pathogens in humans. Their conidia (asexual spores) and mycelia are associated with clinical diseases known as invasive aspergillosis (IA), mainly related to the respiratory tract, such as allergic asthma, allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA), or hypersensitivity. However, they can also disseminate to other organs, particularly the central nervous system. Due to the dispersal mechanism of the conidia through the air, airborne fungal particle measurement should be used to prevent and control this mold. This study aims to measure the outdoor airborne concentration of <i>Aspergillus</i> conidia and the Asp f 1 allergen concentration in Bellaterra (Barcelona, Spain) during 2021 and 2022, and to compare their dynamics to improve the understanding of the biology of this genus and contribute to a better diagnosis, prevention, and therapeutic measures in the face of possible health problems. The results show that both particles were airborne nearly all year round, but their concentrations showed no correlation. Due to Asp f 1 not being present in the conidia itself but being detectable during their germination and in hyphal fragments, we report the relevance of the aero-immunological analysis as a methodology to detect the potential pathogenic hazard of this fungus.https://www.mdpi.com/2309-608X/9/6/624aerobiologyAsp f 1ELISAfungal sporeshigh volume samplerhirst sampler |
| spellingShingle | Concepción De Linares David Navarro Rut Puigdemunt Jordina Belmonte <i>Aspergillus</i> Conidia and Allergens in Outdoor Environment: A Health Hazard? Journal of Fungi aerobiology Asp f 1 ELISA fungal spores high volume sampler hirst sampler |
| title | <i>Aspergillus</i> Conidia and Allergens in Outdoor Environment: A Health Hazard? |
| title_full | <i>Aspergillus</i> Conidia and Allergens in Outdoor Environment: A Health Hazard? |
| title_fullStr | <i>Aspergillus</i> Conidia and Allergens in Outdoor Environment: A Health Hazard? |
| title_full_unstemmed | <i>Aspergillus</i> Conidia and Allergens in Outdoor Environment: A Health Hazard? |
| title_short | <i>Aspergillus</i> Conidia and Allergens in Outdoor Environment: A Health Hazard? |
| title_sort | i aspergillus i conidia and allergens in outdoor environment a health hazard |
| topic | aerobiology Asp f 1 ELISA fungal spores high volume sampler hirst sampler |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2309-608X/9/6/624 |
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