Airborne fungal spores, pollen grains, and vegetable cells in routine Papanicolaou smears

Airborne fungal spores occur widely and often in far greater concentrations than pollen grains. Immunoglobulin E-specific antigens (allergens) on airborne fungal spores induce type I hypersensitivity (allergic) respiratory reactions in sensitized atopic subjects, causing rhinitis and/or asthma. The prevalence of respiratory allergy to fungi is imprecisely known but is estimated at 20 to 30% of atopic (allergy-predisposed) individuals or up to 6% of the general population. Diagnosis and immunotherapy of allergy to fungi require well-characterized or standardized extracts that contain the relevant allergen(s) of the appropriate fungus. Production of standardized extracts is difficult since fungal extracts are complex mixtures and a variety of fungi are allergenic. Thus, the currently available extracts are largely nonstandardized, even uncharacterized, crude extracts. Recent significant progress in isolating and characterizing relevant fungal allergens is summarized in the present review. Particularly, some allergens from the genera Alternaria, Aspergillus, and Cladosporium are now thoroughly characterized, and allergens from several other genera, including some basidiomycetes, have also been purified. The availability of these extracts will facilitate definitive studies of fungal allergy prevalence and immunotherapy efficacy as well as enhance both the diagnosis and therapy of fungal allergy.

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Faculty Opinions recommendation of Surface hydrophobin prevents immune recognition of airborne fungal spores.

Faculty Opinions – Post-Publication Peer Review of the Biomedical Literature ◽

10.3410/f.1163851.628598 ◽

2009 ◽

Author(s):

Carol Munro

Keyword(s):

Fungal Spores ◽

Immune Recognition ◽

Airborne Fungal Spores

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Faculty Opinions recommendation of Surface hydrophobin prevents immune recognition of airborne fungal spores.

Faculty Opinions – Post-Publication Peer Review of the Biomedical Literature ◽

10.3410/f.1163851.627243 ◽

2009 ◽

Author(s):

Neil Andrew Robert Gow ◽

Alexandra Brand

Keyword(s):

Fungal Spores ◽

Immune Recognition ◽

Airborne Fungal Spores

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Airborne fungal spores in a sawmill environment in Palakkad District, Kerala, India

Aerobiologia ◽

10.1023/b:aero.0000022981.70984.b7 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 20 (1) ◽

pp. 75-81 ◽

Cited By ~ 19

Author(s):

Padmanabhan S. Jothish ◽

Themath Soman Nayar

Keyword(s):

Fungal Spores ◽

Airborne Fungal Spores

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An inverse relationship between moisture and grazing intensity in an arid mountain-basin system

Progress in Physical Geography Earth and Environment ◽

10.1177/03091333211060000 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 030913332110600

Author(s):

Jun Zhang ◽

Xiao-zhong Huang ◽

Jia-le Wang ◽

Richard HW Bradshaw ◽

Tao Wang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Arid Region ◽

Influencing Factor ◽

Regional Climate ◽

Fungal Spores ◽

Grazing Intensity ◽

Pollen Grains ◽

High Mountains ◽

Spores And Pollen ◽

The North ◽

Basin System

Precipitation has been suggested as a crucial influencing factor in the primary productivity in arid and semi-arid regions, yet how moisture fluctuation in an arid mountain-basin system of the north Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau has affected human activities is poorly understood. Here, we reconstruct the variations of grazing intensity in high elevations and regional humidity based on independent and high-resolution records of Sporormiella-type coprophilous fungal spores and pollen grains in the same well-dated sediment core from Lake Tian’E in the western Qilian Mountains over the past 3500 years. We find that stronger grazing activity was associated with low regional effective moisture, and propose that the drier regional climate pushed people and their livestock into the mountainous areas. A notable exception was a reduction of human and grazing activities in arid region with high mountains during 380–580 CE caused by centennial-length dry and cold conditions. In addition, it is also noteworthy that intensified grazing activity occurred during 580–720 CE and after ∼1920 CE, corresponding to a warmer and wetter climate and diverse subsistence strategies with social developments in the lowlands of the Hexi Corridor. Our findings potentially provide a historical reference for understanding how ancient people adapted to the climate change in arid region with high mountains.

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Ecosystem Services and Disservices of Vegetation in Recreational Urban Blue-Green Spaces—Some Recommendations for Greenery Shaping

Forests ◽

10.3390/f12081077 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 (8) ◽

pp. 1077

Author(s):

Agata Ćwik ◽

Tomasz Wójcik ◽

Maria Ziaja ◽

Magdalena Wójcik ◽

Katarzyna Kluska ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Ecosystem Services ◽

Positive Impact ◽

Fungal Spores ◽

Pollen Grains ◽

Plant Composition ◽

Artificial Lake ◽

Negative Effect ◽

Multi Media ◽

The City ◽

Main Attraction

Urban water bodies are an important asset in terms of climate change. The accompanying vegetation is an integral part of the waterside space system and a source of ecosystem services and disservices. The composition of greenery in waterside spaces should therefore be preceded by detailed research. This research would be the basis for the development of recommendations for enhancement of the positive impact of vegetation on humans and minimisation of its negative effect. The aim of the study was to identify ecosystem services and disservices of vegetation in the four most important waterside recreation spaces in the city of Rzeszów, Poland, and to develop plant composition guidelines. A detailed inventory of vegetation and aerobiological monitoring of the presence of airborne allergenic pollen grains and fungal spores were carried out. Next, the ecosystem services and disservices of the vegetation were determined based on literature data and on our expert judgement. Additionally, a counting of the number of visitors to waterside areas was conducted. All these steps were used to develop recommendations for shaping the vegetation of study areas. The results of the investigations show that the boulevards along the artificial lake function completely differently than other investigated places as the area resembles an urban park, and the water is not the main attraction in this space. The vegetation of the boulevards and the nearby gravel-pit bathing area has mostly a spontaneous character and offers the widest range of ecosystem services and disservices. The management of the vegetation should focus on its health-enhancing values. The vegetation growing near the outdoor swimming pools has been designed by man. Nevertheless, it requires recomposing and is targeted specifically at the enhancement of the visual attractiveness. Additionally, there is a need for planting compact deciduous trees that will provide shade at the multi-media fountain.

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Seasonality in antarctic airborne fungal spores.

Applied and Environmental Microbiology ◽

10.1128/aem.63.6.2240-2245.1997 ◽

1997 ◽

Vol 63 (6) ◽

pp. 2240-2245 ◽

Cited By ~ 32

Author(s):

W A Marshall

Keyword(s):

Fungal Spores ◽

Airborne Fungal Spores

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Qualitative and Quantitative Assessment of Airborne Fungal Spores in the Hospitals Environment of Ahvaz City (2016)

Jundishapur Journal of Microbiology ◽

10.5812/jjm.14143 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 10 (10) ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Neda Kiasat ◽

Mahnaz Fatahinia ◽

Ali Zarei Mahmoudabadi ◽

Hojjatollah Shokri

Keyword(s):

Quantitative Assessment ◽

Fungal Spores ◽

Qualitative And Quantitative ◽

Airborne Fungal Spores

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Allergenic fungal spores in the air of urban parks

Aerobiologia ◽

10.1007/s10453-020-09671-7 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Idalia Kasprzyk ◽

Agnieszka Grinn-Gofroń ◽

Agata Ćwik ◽

Katarzyna Kluska ◽

Paloma Cariñanos ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Fungal Spores ◽

Urban Parks ◽

Volumetric Method ◽

Green Spaces ◽

Seasonal Occurrence ◽

Aerobiological Monitoring ◽

Urban Green ◽

Urban Green Spaces ◽

Airborne Fungal Spores ◽

Burkard Sampler

Abstract Urban green spaces, especially urban parks, are essential for the proper functioning of cities, but they can be a serious source of airborne fungal spores. Aerobiological monitoring was carried out in urban parks of different typology to estimate the risk associated with fungal spores for citizens. Volumetric method was applied with the use of portable Burkard Sampler. In the air of the studied parks, the most dominant spores are strong allergenic or considered as potentially allergenic. Cladosporium spores were found in enormous concentrations in all studied parks, and it affected the low biodiversity of fungal spores in the parks. Compared to Cladosporium, concentrations of Alternaria spores in the air were several dozen times lower, but still a risk for people who are allergic. The fungal spores spectra and their seasonal occurrence in each park were similar. The highest similarities in the patterns of the season were found in the case of Cladosporium, Alternaria, Epicoccum, and the lowest in the case of Torula and Drechslera type. Due to the fact that allergy sufferers are most often polysensitized, the period when they should limit long visits in the urban parks is July–August, when the concentration of allergenic fungal spores of many taxa is the highest.

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