Official Studies of Toxic Fungi, Mcycotoxins and Mold related illness

July 19, 2011 - PRLog -- Stachybotrys Induced Hemorrhage in the Developing Lung
Date study started January, 1999; Date Study Completed January, 2004

Recruitment status verified February, 2001 This study is currently recruiting patients. Sponsored by National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS)

Purpose: The majority of the workscope of this project is focused on an infant animal model of toxigenic mold induced pulmonary hemorrhage. Clinically related studies are directed only to the description of human infants diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary hemorrhage regarding their clinical parameters, and collecting samples of secretion, blood, and urine for analysis for fungal spores and mycotoxins. These latter analyses are being developed using the infant rat model.

Condition: Idiopathic Pulmonary Hemorrhage

Further Study Details:

Over the past seven years in the Cleveland, Ohio area there have been 47 cases of unexplained pulmonary hemorrhage in young infants. Sixteen of the infants have died. A CDC case-control study found an association with water-damaged homes and the toxigenic fungus, Stachybotrys chartarum, which requires water soaked cellulose to grow. The spores of this fungus are not infectious in the lung but do contain very potent mycotoxins which appear to be particularly toxic to the rapidly developing lungs of young infants. Secondary stresses, e.g. environmental tobacco smoke, appear to be important triggers of overt hemorrhage. Concern that there may be a larger number of undetected young infants with this disorder led to the examination of all infant coroner cases, which revealed six sudden infant death syndrome cases with major amounts of pulmonary hemosiderin-laden macrophages, indicating extensive hemosiderosis existing prior to death. All of these infants had lived in the eight zip code area where all but fifteen of the patients have lived. This disorder may extend beyond Cleveland since toxigenic fungi are widespread. We are aware of a total of 138 infants with idiopathic pulmonary hemorrhage across the country over the past four years. The purpose of this proposal is to establish an infant animal model for this stachybotryomycotoxicosis which can be used to understand the developmental pathophysiology by which the fungal spores induce hemorrhage and to address practical problems faced in the clinical care of these infants and in public health prevention. The model uses tracheal instillation of toxic Stachybotrys spores in neonatal to weanling rats to initiate the pathological process, followed by stresses to trigger acute hemorrhage. Capillary fragility to transmural pressures will be assessed by morphometric analysis of electron micrographs. Markers of Stachybotrys exposure which can be applied to clinical cases are being developed and tested in the rats.

Dorr G Dearborn, MD,PhD,




The Immunopathology of Hypersensitivity Reactions
Vincent A. Marinkovich, M.D. Clinical Associate Professor, Stanford Medical School, Redwood City, CA

Abstract

Overactivity of the immune system, either allergy (IgE) or hypersensitivity (non-IgE) is responsible for more illness than is generally appreciated, even by the medical profession. The least understood are the non-IgE mechanisms which involve either immune complex formation (type III of Gell and Combs) or direct killer T-cell involvement (type IV). Type III reactions may be localized with a large deposition of antigen at a focal point where immune complexes are formed and tissue damage ensues including necrosis. This is termed the Arthus reaction. A systemic dissemination of antigens will provoke a systemic inflammatory reaction which is most closely modeled by the well studied acute and chronic serum sickness reaction. Serum sickness was identified as the constellation of symptoms which followed the administration of antitoxins (antiserum given for infectious disease before the advent of antibiotics) which were derived from non-human sources, most often horses. Chronic serum sickness was observed when otherwise healthy subjects were given repeat doses of antiserum experimentally over relatively short periods of time. The symptoms observed in spontaneous and experimental serum sickness included fatigue, rash, cognitive changes, myositis, arthritis, headache, weight-loss, cardiovascular symptoms etc., which are often seen during heavy chronic exposure to fungal spores. The dynamic nature of circulating immune complexes, their complexity, their rapidly changing equilibrium patterns and their pathogenicity must be appreciated before the clinician can properly interpret the patterns of illness his patients describe. The best simple test identifying and thereby allowing the avoidance of serum sickness is a specific IgE test to a panel of high exposure antigens including fungi, food and occupational antigens.




Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis from Toxic Mold Exposure

Fungal Spores: Hazardous to Health? W.G. Sorenson

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Morgantown, West Virginia USA

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




Cognitive Impairment Associated with Exposure to Toxigenic Fungi
Wayne A. Gordon, Ph.D., Eckardt Johanning, M.D.,M.Sc. Lisa Haddad, B.A. Professor, Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Mount Sinai School of Medicine; Eckardt Johanning, M.D., Adjunct Instructor, Department of Community Medicine, Mount Sinai School of Medicine; Lisa Haddad, B.A., Research Assistant, Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Mount Sinai School of Medicine; Research performed at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, Correspondence: Wayne A Gordon Ph.D., Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Mount Sinai School of Medicine

The objective of the study was to examine whether cognitive impairment was associated with exposure to Stachybotrys atra. 20 individuals were examined using a standard neuropsychological battery and a symptom checklist. Results indicate that all individuals seen meet at least 1 of the criteria for a cognitive impairment, with 13 of the 20 (65%) meeting at least 3 of the criteria for cognitive impairment. Preliminary findings suggest that exposure to toxigenic molds are associated with cognitive impairment, specifically deficits in verbal memory, verbal learning, attention/concentration and set shifting. In addition to these cognitive deficits, the sample reported a high number of cognitive, physical and behavioral symptoms. Validation on a larger sample of individuals is indicated.

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