Secondary metabolites produced by endophytic fungi: novel antifungal activity of fumiquinone B

Fungi are present in the most diverse environments including the interior of plant tissues, living as endophytes without causing apparent damage. These endophytes are producers of secondary metabolites, also known as natural products, such as fungicides. Here, we evaluated the ethyl acetate fractions obtained from endophytic fungiisolated from plants in the genus Begonia. The fractions were submitted to inhibitorytest against the plant pathogens Diaporthe phaseolorum and Colletotrichum gloeosporioides. From the 88 ethyl acetate fractions evaluated, 14.7 % inhibited C. gloeosporioidesand 11.3 %inhibited D. phaseolorum. One fungal isolate displaying an active fraction was selected for chemical investigation. The fungus identified as Neopestalotiopsissp., produced a compound that was active against D. phaseolorum, with a MIC of 312 μg mL-1(1,695.3 μM). The compound was identified by mass spectrometry and 1H NMR as the known compound fumiquinone B. The results highlight that the endophytes are capable of producing compounds that may be used to control plant pathogens. The compound fumiquinone B is reported for the first time as an antifungal agent against D. phaseolorum, a relevant plant pathogen worldwide. This is also the first report of the production of fumiquinone B by the genus Neopestalotiopsis.

Revisión Bibliográfica: El Microbioma Humano / Bibliographic Review: The Human Microbiome

El microbioma humano se entiende como el enorme conjunto de microorganismo que habitan de manera simbiótica en los distintos órganos de un individuo sano. Existe evidencia suficiente como para afirmar que la colonización de dichos microorganismo sucede inmediatamente después del nacimiento, e incluso algunos autores sostienen que podría suceder dentro del útero. La cantidad de publicaciones científicas que abordan el tema del microbioma han aumentado exponencialmente en los últimos 5 años dejando claro su papel preponderante en la respuesta inmune y en el equilibro salud enfermedad; afirmando que cambios en su ecosistema en términos de cantidad y calidad se asocia con el inicio o la perpetuación de diversas enfermedades.

The human microbiome is understood as the huge group of microorganisms that inhabit symbiotically in a healthy human. There is enough evidence to affirm that the colonization of microorganism happens immediately after birth, in fact some authors claim that it could happen inside the uterus. The number of scientific publications that address the issue ofthemicrobiome have increased exponentially in the last 5 years,making clearthe predominantrole in the immune response and in the health balance; affirming that changes in the ecosystem in terms of quantity and quality, are associated with the initiation or perpetuation of various diseases.

Potencial antimicrobiano dos antissépticos de uso popular anapyon®, água rabelo® e malvatricin® sobre microrganismos do meio ambiente oral / Antimicrobial Potential of the Popular Antiseptics Anapyon®, Água Rabelo® and Malvatricin® against Oral Microorganisms

Objetivo: Verificar, ?in vitro?, o potencial antimicrobiano do Anapyon®, da Água Rabelo® e do Malvatricin® sobre microrganismos presentes na cavidade oral.Método: Para realização do experimento, utilizou-se o protocolo sequenciado durante quatro dias que avaliou, através da medida da densidade óptica, o potencial antimicrobiano dos fármacos nos microrganismos (Staphylococcus aureus, Candida tropicalis, Candida parapsilosis e Candida albicans), em suas formas planctônicas, apenas o Malvatricin® foi avaliado sobre as formas de biofilme por ser o único fármaco que apresentou resultados satisfatórios sobre as formas planctônicas. O estudo adotou como controle negativo a água destilada e controle positivo a Clorexidina®. Os resultados obtidos foram submetidos a uma análise estatística com os testes de Kruskal-Wallis e Mann-Whitney. Resultados: Observou-se, através da medida da densidade óptica, que apenas o Malvatricin® apresentou bons resultados na forma planctônica, sendo estes semelhantes ao controle positivo (clorexidina), considerado padrão nos ensaios antimicrobianos em Odontologia. Os resultados do Malvatricin® foram estatisticamente melhores quando comparados aos demais fármacos (Anapyon®, Água Rabelo®) e ao controle negativo. Este resultado foi semelhante para todos os microrganismos estudados: Staphylococcus aureus (p=0,002), Candida tropicalis (p=0,002), Candida parapsilosis (p=0,001) e Candida albicans (p<0,001). Desta forma, apenas o Mavatricin® foi testado para o microrganismo arranjado em biofilme. Observou-se, então, que para a C.albicans e para o S. aureus, houve diferença significativa entre clorexidina e Malvatricin® (p<0,05), com melhores resultados para o clorexidina. Para C. tropicalis, o Malvatricin® diferiu significativamente (p<0,05) da água destilada. Em relação a C.parapsilosis, nenhuma diferença foi observada em relação ao controle negativo (p=0,468). Conclusão: Apesar de alguns fármacos alternativos serem tidos como antimicrobianos, tais propriedades sobre células planctônicas e, principalmente, sobre biofilme foram observadas apenas para o Malvatricin®.

Objective: To evaluate in vitro the antimicrobial potential of Anapyon®, Água Rabelo and Malvatricin® against oral microorganisms.Method: The experiment used a four-day sequential protocol that evaluated by optical density measurements the antimicrobial potential of these products against Staphylococcus aureus, Candida tropicalis, Candida parapsilosis and Candida albicans in their planktonic forms. Only Malvatricin® was also evaluated against microbial biofilms because it was the only one to produce satisfactory results against the planktonic forms. Distilled water was used as negative control and Chlorhexidine® as positive control. The data were analyzed statistically by the Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney tests. Results: According to the optical density readings, only Malvatricin® was effective against the planktonic microorganisms and its results were similar to those of the positive control (Chlorhexidine), which is the gold standard antimicrobial agent in dental research. Malvatricin® presented significantly higher efficacy than the other antiseptics (Anapyon® and Água Rabelo®) and the negative control, and this result was similar for all tested microorganisms: S. aureus (p=0.002), C tropicalis (p=0.002), C. parapsilosis (p=0.001) and C. albicans (p<0.001). For this reason, only Malvatricin® was evaluated against the microorganisms arranged as biofilms. Chlorhexidine presented significantly better results (p<0.05) than Malvatricin® against C. albicans and S. aureus. When tested against C. tropicalis, Malvatricin® differed significantly (p<0.05) from distilled water, while against C. parapsilosis no significant difference (p=0.468) was observed in comparison with the negative control. Conclusion: Although some pharmaceutical products being considered anti-microbial, such properties against planktonic cells and especially the biofilms were observed only for Malvatricin®.

Allergic fungal rhinosinusitis in yanbu area King Saudi Arabia [K.S.A]: a comprehensive study

Allergic fungal rhinosinusitis [AFRS] is the most common type of fungal sinusitis. It occurs more commonly in tropical countries like India, Sudan, and K.S.A. This comprehensive study was carried out to evaluate the disease in Yanbu area in KSA which has a hot and humid climate. Ninty seven cases were collected in the Royal commission Medical Centre in Yanbu in the period from Jun 2006 to Jun 2010, their age ranged from 12 to 59 years old, 61 was males and 36 was females. Full ENT and allergic history was taken. Endoscopic examination, radiological and immunological investigations were done then medical treatment was given for all patients, then FESS was done for all patients. Polypi and debris which were collected were sent for bacteriological and histopathological examination. The conclusion of this study showed that one should suspect AFRS in all long standing history of sinusitis inspite of all medical treatment and previous sinus operations and the treatment of choice of this disease is surgical treatment and post-operative close follow up with medical and immunological therapy

Common allergens of atopic dermatitis in dogs: comparative findings based on intradermal tests

Intradermal tests were performed on 58 dogs diagnosed with atopic dermatitis from 2004~2008 at the Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital of Konkuk University, Korea. To compare the allergen distribution observed in the present investigation to the results from other studies conducted in Korea and elsewhere, the allergens were grouped according to their kinds. There was no significant difference in gender distribution among the dogs. The most common breeds among the 58 dogs were Maltese (n = 11) and Shih-tzu (n = 11). The average age was 4.8 years. The most frequently produced a positive reaction on the intradermal tests was mold (67.3%) followed by house dust (54.5%) and house dust mites (49.1%). The present study found a low distribution of dogs allergic to various outdoor allergens compared to studies performed in other countries; this may reflect differences in living conditions for dogs living in Korea.

Association Between Body Mass Index and Asthma Symptoms Among Korean Children: A Nation-Wide Study

The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between body mass index (BMI) and the prevalence of wheeze using nation-wide cross-sectional study in Korean children. Total 50,200 children from 427 elementary schools were randomly selected according to residential areas (metropolitan, provincial, rural, and industrial areas) by the cluster sampling method. The International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) questionnaires were used to measure the prevalence of wheeze. Among 31,026 respondents, 25,322 were analyzed. BMI was classified into quartiles based on BMI-for-age percentile. In all residential areas, pets at home and visible mold or moisture were associated with an increased prevalence of wheeze in both genders. However, other living environment factors were not consistently associated among residential areas and gender. Among girls, lowest BMI was negatively associated with prevalence of wheeze and highest BMI was positively associated in all residential areas. In multilevel logistic regression analysis, environmental tobacco smoking exposure, pets at home, visible mold or moisture, and being in the lowest and highest BMI quartile were significantly associated with the prevalence of wheeze in both genders. BMI has become an important risk factor for asthma symptoms among Korean children.

Diferencias en la sensibilización a aeroalergenos en pacientes con poliposis nasosinusal / Different patterns of sensitization to airborne allergens in patients with nasal polyposis

Introducción: La poliposis nasosinusal (PN) es una enfermedad inflamatoria crónica de la mucosa. Apoyado en los hallazgos clínicos, histológicos e inmunológicos, se postula a la alergia como un factor etiopatogénico, lo cual no ha sido plenamente demostrado. Objetivo: Evaluar la presencia de hipersensibilidad a aeroalergenos en pacientes con PN y compararla con pacientes normales. Material y método: Se realizó prick test a aeroalergenos a todos los pacientes utilizando 30 alérgenos frecuentes en el área metropolitana de Santiago, incluyendo pólenes de árboles, malezas y pastos, ácaros, epitelio de animales y hongos habituales. Este test se amplió con el uso de tres hongos habitualmente no evaluados (Stemphyllium, Pullularia, Helminthosporium). Se utilizó la prueba de Chi cuadrado con una significancia de 0,05. Resultados: El 71 por ciento de los pacientes con PN (n =73) y el 66 por ciento del grupo control (n =44) presentaban un test cutáneo positivo, sin diferencia estadística significativa. El patrón de sensibilización a aeroalergenos fue similar, salvo para los alérgenos fúngicos: los pacientes con PN estaban sensibilizados en 40 por ciento a Pullularia, 30 por ciento a Stemphyllium, y 10 por ciento a Helminthosporium. En tanto que los controles no presentaron sensibilización a estos hongos no habituales. Discusión y conclusiones: Existe una alta tasa de sensibilización a aeroalergenos en pacientes normales y con PN, lo que sugiere un probable rol de la alergia en la patogénesis de la poliposis nasal. Destaca un patrón diferente de sensibilización a alérgenos fúngicos, cuya relevancia clínica debe ser evaluada a futuro.

Introduction: Nasal polyposis (NP) is a chronic inflammatory disease that leads to tissue oedema and eventually polyps. The pathogenesis of NP has not been fully understood yet, but there are clinical, histological, and immunological findings that suggest that allergy plays a role. Aim: The aim of this study was to find out the prevalence of airborne allergen hypersensitivity in patients with nasal polyposis. Material and method: Skin prick test (SPT) was performed to patients with NP and to a control group (CRS). Thirty frequent airborne allergens of the Santiago de Chile metropolitan area, including tree, grass and weed pollens, house dust mites, animal dander and common fungal allergens were tested. This SPT was extended by using three fungal allergens that usually are not evaluated (Stemphyllium, Pullularia, Helminthosporium). Chi square test was used to compare both groups of patients. Results: 71 percent of NP patients (n=73) versus 66 percent of the controls (n=44) had a positive SPT, although there was no statistical significance. The only difference in sensitization was for fungal allergens. In NP patients, sensitization to Pullularia was about 40 percent>, 30 percent> to Stemphyllium, and 10 percent to Helminthosporium. CRS patients were not sensitized to uncommon fungal allergens. Conclusions: We found a high frequency of sensitization to airborne allergen in CRS and NP patients that suggest a probable role of allergic inflammation in the pathogenesis of nasal polyposis. Stands out a different pattern of sensitization to fungal allergens in the NP group; the clinical relevance of this finding awaits future evaluation.

Effect of outdoor fungus concentrations on symptom severity of children with asthma and/or rhinitis monosensitized to molds.

Although the relationship between asthma severity and exposure to airborne fungi has been well studied, little is known about the contribution of outdoor molds to the symptoms of children monosensitized to molds. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effect of outdoor mold spore concentrations on daily asthma and/or rhinitis scores in children monosensitized to molds. Nineteen children with asthma and/or rhinitis sensitized only to molds recorded their daily symptoms and PEF values to the diaries, from February 2005 to January 2006. Additionally, mold spores were measured daily using a Burkard 7-day recording volumetric spore trap in city atmosphere and compared with meteorological data. Total number of mold spores in atmosphere was found to be 352,867 spore/m3 during the study period. Cladosporium (53%) was the most common encountered outdoor fungi, followed by Altemaria (29%) and 1-septate Ascospore (3%). Outdoor fungi concentrations were significantly correlated with mean monthly rhinitis score (r = 0.877, p < 0.001) and mean monthly asthma score (r = 0.831, p = 0.001), and mean monthly morning PEF (r = -0.741, p = 0.006) and evening PEF (r = -0.720, p = 0.008), and climatic conditions. The effect of outdoor fungi was highly evident on the symptoms of our patients with asthma and/or rhinitis monosensitized to molds.

Are cutaneous hypersensitivity tests to inhalant allergens a severity marker for vernal keratoconjunctivitis?

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to analyze the cutaneous sensitivity to a variety of allergens in patients with vernal keratoconjunctivitis (VKC) and to demonstrate the relation between skin response and clinical aspects of the disease. METHODS: Twenty patients with vernal keratoconjunctivitis were randomly chosen from the External Disease and Cornea Sector. They were clinically evaluated, and a score ranging from 0 to 20 was applied based on signs and symptoms on ophthalmic examination. All subjects underwent a skin prick test against standardized allergens, such as house dust mites D. pteronyssinus, D. farinae, and Blomia tropicalis, as well as allergens from cat, dog, fungi and feather. RESULTS: Seventy-five per cent of patients were positive for at least one of the allergens tested. House dust mites were responsible for the majority of the cases (75 percent). There was a poor correlation between the clinical score and sensitivity to allergens (r= - 0.119 for fungi; r= - 0.174 for dog; r= - 0.243 for house dust mites; r= - 0.090 for feather). A significant correlation was found only for cat allergen extract (r = - 0.510; p=0.024). CONCLUSIONS: Our study demonstrated poor correlation between cutaneous hypersensitivity tests and clinical findings in patients with vernal keratoconjuntivitis. We concluded that skin response to inhalant allergens is not a useful test to identify clinical severity and chronicity of inflammatory process in this disease.

OBJETIVO: Avaliar o papel da sensibilização cutânea a diferentes aeroalérgenos em pacientes com ceratoconjuntivite vernal e a correlação entre esta e os aspectos clínicos da doença. MÉTODOS: Vinte pacientes do setor de doenças externas e córnea foram aleatoriamente convidados para participar deste estudo. Os pacientes foram avaliados e a eles foi atribuído um escore clínico variando de 0 a 20 de acordo com sinais e sintomas presentes no exame oftalmológico. Todos os pacientes foram submetidos a testes cutâneos de hipersensibilidade imediata contra aeroalérgenos padronizados como os ácaros domiciliares D. pteronyssinus, D. farinae e Blomia tropicalis, assim como também a alérgenos de epitélio de gato, epitélio de cão, mistura de fungos e mistura de penas. RESULTADOS: Setenta e cinco por cento dos pacientes tiveram teste de hipersensibilidade imediata positivo contra pelo menos um dos antígenos testados. Os ácaros domiciliares foram responsáveis pela maioria destes casos (75 por cento). Houve uma pobre correlação entre o escore clínico e a hipersensibilidade cutânea aos alérgenos (r= -0,119 para fungos; r= -0,174 para epitélio de cão; r= -0,243 para ácaros domiciliares; r= -0,090 para mistura de penas). Houve correlação significativa apenas contra epitélio de gatos (r= -0,510; p=0,024). CONCLUSÃO: O estudo demonstrou uma pobre correlação entre os testes cutâneos de hipersensibilidade imediata e os achados clínicos nos pacientes com ceratoconjuntivite vernal. Os testes cutâneos de hipersensibilidade imediata contra aeroalérgenos não foi parâmetro eficaz na identificação dos casos de maior gravidade e cronicidade de ceratoconjuntivite vernal.

Espectro clinicopatológico de las tiroiditis

El espectro clinicopatológico de las tiroiditis abarca, desde la rara tiroiditis aguda o supurativa hasta la más rara tiroiditis de Riedel. Las tiroiditis subaguda y silente (y su variante postpartum) también son enfermedades no comunes, mientras que la tiroiditis crónica autoinmune o enfermedad de Hashimoto resulta la tiroiditis y la enfermedad autoinmune órgano específica más frecuente, responsable de la mayor parte de los casos de hipotiroidismo. Efectivamente, en las áreas geográficas no deficientes en yodo, la mayor parte de los desórdenes tiroideos se deben a enfermedad autoinmune. La autoinmunidad como fenómeno primario juega un papel trascendente en la etiopatogenia de la tiroiditis crónica autoinmune, la tiroiditis silente-postpartum y la tiroiditis de Riedel y, sólo un rol secundario en la tiroiditis subaguda. Posiblemente, las infecciones virales causan la tiroiditis subaguda, mientras que los gérmenes piógenos y hongos son responsables de la tiroiditis supurativa. Las tiroiditis autoinmunes y la tiroiditis subaguda se acompañan comúnmente de disfunción tiroidea. Se conoce como “tiroiditis destructiva” al proceso inflamatorio tiroideo acompañado de destrucción y tirotoxicosis transitoria.

En estos casos, la disfunción tiroidea adopta usualmente el patrón de “tiroiditis bifásica”, en la que secuencialmente, la tirotoxicosis pasajera va seguida de hipotiroidismo transitorio y recuperación. Desórdenes con diferente etiopatogenia, como la tiroiditis subaguda, la tiroiditis silente y la enfermedad de Hashimoto, son responsables de los fenómenos fisiopatológicos similares que dan origen a la tiroiditis bifásica. El dolor en la tiroides adquiere relevancia en la tiroiditis subaguda y en la tiroiditis supurativa y, sólo raramente, está presente en la tiroiditis silente o en la exacerbación aguda de la enfermedad de Hashimoto. En la mayor parte de los casos, es posible establecer el diagnóstico de la tiroiditis mediante la historia clínica, las pruebas de función tiroidea y los estudios isotópicos y ecosonográficos. La biopsia tiroidea por aspiración con aguja fina permite resolver los casos dudosos. Esta revisión del “Espectro clínico-patológico de las tiroiditis”, resulta una síntesis de la información bibliográfica y la experiencia lograda con las tiroiditis a través de un enfoque clínico integral.

Clinical-pathological spectrum of thyroiditis comprises from the rare acute o suppurative thyroiditis as far as the rarest Rieldel’s thyroiditis. Also, subacute and silent thyroiditis (and it postpartum variant) are non common diseases, while autoimmune chronic thyroiditis or Hashimoto’s disease results the most frequent thyroiditis and organ-specific autoimmune disorder, that is responsible for most part of hypothyroidism cases. Effectively, in iodine-replete geographic areas, most persons with thyroid disorders have autoimmune disease. Autoimmunity as primary phenomenon plays a transcendent role in etiopathogeny of chronic autoimmune thyroiditis, silent-postpartum thyroiditis and Riedel’s thyroiditis and only a secondary role in subacute thyroiditis. Probably, viral infections cause subacute thyroiditis, while pyogenic germs and fungus are responsible for suppurative thyroiditis. Commonly, autoimmune and subacute thyroiditis are associated with thyroid dysfunction. It is known as “destructive thyroiditis”, the thyroidal inflammatory process that is joined to destruction and transient thyrotoxicosis.

Usually, thyroid dysfunction in these cases adopt “biphasic thyroiditis” pattern, in which sequentially, transient thyrotoxicosis is followed by transient hypothyroidism and recovery. Disorders with different etiopathogeny as subacute thyroiditis, silent thyroiditis and Hashimoto’s thyroiditis are responsible of similarly physiopathologic phenomenons that originated biphasic thyroiditis. Pain in the thyroidal gland is relevant in subacute and suppurative thyroiditis and, rarely is present in silent thyroiditis or in acute exacerbation of Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. In most of the cases, it is possible to establish the diagnosis of thyroiditis through clinical history, thyroidal function tests, isotopic studies and ecosonography. Thyroid fine needle biopsy resolves doubtful cases. This review about “Clinical-pathological spectrum of thyroiditis”, results from the synthesis of bibliographic information and the experience obtained with thyroiditis through and integral clinic focus.

Atividade antifúngica in vitro da casca do anacardium occidentale linn. sobre leveduras do gênero candida / In vitro antifungal activity of anacardium occidentale linn. bark upon leavens of the candida gender

Os fungos fazem parte da microbiota normal da boca e variações qualitativas e quantitativas destes são encontrados em indivíduos saudáveis. A candidose é uma infecção endógena de ocorrência bastante comum na cavidade bucal provocada por parasitismo ocasional desenvolvido por leveduras do gênero Candida. A utilização das plantas pela medicina popular, seu uso na odontologia e a divulgação dos êxitos conduziram a exploração científica, proporcionando um conhecimento químico-farmacológico de milhares de plantas...

Sensitization to common allergens, especially pollens, among children with respiratory allergy in the Trakya region of Turkey.

Asthma and allergic rhinitis are common problems in children and the causative pollen allergens vary according to the geographical area. The aim of this study was to investigate patterns of sensitization to common inhalant allergens, especially pollens, in Turkish children living in the Trakya region and to determine differences between rural and urban areas. Allergen skin testing was prospectively performed on 539 children aged between 4 and 17 years with respiratory allergy. The reaction was considered to be positive if the mean wheal diameter was at least 3 mm greater than that of the negative controls. We detected positive skin reactions in 420 (77.9%) children. Two hundred and eighty-one (52.1%) mite, 277 (51.4%) pollen, 174 (32.3%) mold, 65 (12.1%) animal dander, 12 (2.2%) cockroach and 6 (1.1%) latex skin sensitivities were detected. Among the pollen allergies 173 were cereal pollen (32.1%), 170 grass pollen (31.5%) and 144 tree pollen allergies (26.7%). The most common positive skin test among the pollens was to cultivated wheat (Titicum vulgare) (n = 116, 21,5%), followed by rye grass (Lolium perenne) and orchard grass (Dactylis glomerata). Positive skin reactions to Alternaria, to Candida albicans, and to all pollens except Ulmus competris, Pinus sylvetris, Platanus vulgaris and Tilia platyphyllos, were higher in children with allergic rhinitis than in those with asthma. In children from rural areas, allergic skin reactivity was found to be more common against Candida albicans, sheep dander and all pollens except Corylus avellana, Fraxinus excelsior, Populus alba, Pinus sylvetris, Platanus vulgaris and Chenopodium album, than in urban children. Although Trakya is close to Greece and other Mediterranean countries, this study suggests that the pollens, which sensitize children, are not similar.

Skin sensitization to common allergens in Turkish wheezy children less than 3 years of age.

Infants and small children with asthma are not commonly skin tested, as allergy is not considered to be a major cause of infantile asthma. The aim of this study was to determine the frequency of skin test positivity to various allergens in wheezy children less than 3 years of age. We evaluated 161 patients with infantile asthma (median age 20 months) and 100 healthy controls (median age 18 months). Infantile asthma was defined as three or more episodes of wheezing in a child less than 3 years of age, whose symptoms improved on treatment with beta-agonist and anti-inflammatory agents. All children were skin tested to house dust mites (HDM), pollens, molds, and cow milk extracts using prick technique. One hundred and eighteen (73.3%) children In the patient group tested positive to HDM, 84 (52.1%) to pollens, 37 (22.9%) to molds, and 16 (10%) to cow milk. Sensitization rates to HDM were significantly higher in the patient group than In the healthy controls. Sensitization rates to pollens were not statistically different between the two groups. There was no association between family history of atopy and frequency of sensitization to allergens in the wheezy and control groups. We concluded that skin sensitization to allergens was common In wheezy infants. The prevalence of sensitization to indoor allergens was higher than to outdoor or food allergens.

Variación anual de la microflora en la ciudad de San Juan y en hogares de pacientes con patología respiratoria IgE dependiente / Annual mycoareological variation in San Juan city, Argentine Republic, and in houses of IgE dependent respiratory pathology patients

El objetivo del estudio fue establecer la variación anual de la microflora en la ciudad de San Juan y en hogares de pacientes con patología respiratoria IgE dependiente. San Juan es una provincia del oeste de la República Argentina, con escasísimas precipitaciones pluviales anuales (menos de 10 mm), con un promedio de humedad relativa ambiente de 46 por ciento (min.: 36 por ciento y máx.: 55 por ciento) y una temperatura promedio de 17,6ºC (min.: 7,8ºC y máx.: 26,5ºC). Para poder conocer el desarrollo de hongos y definir mejor la correlación existente entre ellos y las enfermedades alérgicas respiratorias, estudiamos durante un período anual (julio 1994-junio 1995) la presencia de seis géneros de hongos: Alternaria, Cladosporium, Penicillium, Aspergillus, Mucor y Rhizopus, en el ambiente exterior de la ciudad de San Juan, y en el domicilio de nueve (9) niños con enfermedad respiratoria (rinitis y/o asma), con Prick Test positivo para todos los hongos en estudio. Se controló la reactividad sanguínea de estos pacientes a los mismos géneros de hongos por IgE RAST. La flora micológica fue estudiada por el método gravimétrico, exponiendo mensualmente cápsulas de Petri (diámetro: 10 cm) en medio ambiente externo y en los domicilios (4 cápsulas por domicilio), con medios de cultivo de Sabouraud y Czapek-Dox (Lab. Merck). Los Prick Test se realizaron con antígenos Allergon AB (Lab. Welt), y las IgE RAST (Allerex Labs. Inc - USA). El hongo que se desarrolló con más frecuencia en los domicilios estudiados fue el Penicillium (40,63 por ciento), seguido por Rhizopus (17,24 por ciento), Aspergillus (14,09 por ciento), Mucor (11,28 por ciento), Cladosporium (4,81 por ciento), Alternaria (4,75 por ciento), y otros (7,0 por ciento). Aunque en distinto porcentaje, la distribución de hongos en ambientes externos sigue una curva muy similar a las halladas en los domicilios: Penicillium (17,86 por ciento), Rhizopus (12,76 por ciento), Aspergillus (11,13 por ciento), Mucor (9,97 por ciento), Alternaria (8,12 por ciento), Cladosporium (6,03 por ciento) y otros (1,39 por ciento). La mayor concentración de hongos se alcanzó en octubre para domicilios y en noviembre-diciembre para ambiente exterior. La mejor correlación entre el Prick Test y el RAST se obtuvo para Alternaria y Aspergillus (87 por ciento), seguidos por Cladosporium (75 por ciento), Penicillium (62 por ciento), Rhizopus (50 por ciento), y Mucor (37 por ciento). No encontramos correlación directa entre la respuestas de los pacientes y la concentración de hongos en el período de estudio, confirmando lo esperado de acuerdo con las diferentes potencias alergénicas de cada género

Allergens of Bipolaris species.

Skin prick tests done previously revealed a significantly higher percentage of sensitization to an extract of Bipolaris sp. among atopic individuals (34/147, 23.1%) compared to non-atopic individuals. Bipolaris-specific IgE levels were quantified in sera from a representative group of 38 individuals using the Fluorescence Allergosorbent Test (FAST). Result obtained by FAST were found to be comparable to the skin prick test results (r2 = 0.60, p < 0.001 for IgE levels vs wheal sizes; r2 = 0.44, p < 0.001 for IgE levels vs erythema sizes). Characterisation of the extract's allergenic component by sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) showed 28 protein bands with molecular weights (MW) ranging from 11 kDa to above 100 kDa. Immunoblotting with sera of 10 Bipolaris-sensitive (skin prick test, 3 +) individuals showed that Bipolaris spore extract contained at least 4 IgE binding proteins (MW 11-13 kDa, 16-17 kDa, 20-22 kDa and 36 kDa). All 10 sera reacted to the protein at MW 20-22 kDa, 2 sera with MW 11-13 kDa, 3 sera with 16-17 kDa and 6 sera with 36 kDa. This study has thus demonstrated that spores of Bipolaris sp. contain allergenic components which may elicit IgE-mediated reactions.