Mould specific IgG antibodies connected with sinusitis in teachers of mould damaged school: a two-year follow-up study.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to describe the relationship between mould exposure induced by moisture damage and mould specific immunoglobulin G antibodies to 20 common mould species and their association with respiratory diseases.


METHODS
Mould specific immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies were monitored in teachers in a follow-up after an extensive mould remediation process in school buildings. IgG antibodies to 20 different microbes were determined from the sera of 26 teachers (19 exposed and 7 references) by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The serum samples were drawn twice, firstly at the completion of the remediation in the spring of 1997 and secondly, two years later in the spring of 1999. Health data was collected with self-administered questionnaires.


RESULTS
No statistical differences were found in the overall concentrations of 20 mould-specific IgG-antibodies between the study and control groups at the beginning of the study. An association between sinusitis and elevated mould-specific IgG-levels forAspergillus fumigatus, Aspergillus versicolor, Aureobasidium pullulans, Chaetomium globosum, Cladosporium cladosporioides, Phialophora bubakii, Rhodotorula glutinis, Sporobolomyces salmonicolor, Stachybotrys atra, and Tritirachium roseum was found in the study group.


CONCLUSIONS
In a two-year follow-up the total concentration of the IgG antibodies for Tr. toseum was lower at the end than at the beginning of the follow-up and this remained significant for the group of teachers with sinusitis. The decrease in mould specific IgG to Cl. cladosporioides, Geotrichum candidum, Ph. bubakii and Rhizopus nigricans was associated with bronchitis. According to our knowledge, this is the first study in which the association between elevated mould specific IgG antibodies and sinusitis was found in the school environment.
Department of Environmental Health, National Public Health Institute, Kuopio, Finland. riitta.patovirta@ktl.fi
Riitta-Liisa
RL
Patovirta
Marjut
M
Reiman
Tuula
T
Husman
Ulla
U
Haverinen
Mika
M
Toivola
Aino
A
Nevalainen
D000328:Adult; D016902:Air Pollution, Indoor; D000908:Antibodies, Fungal / Q000097:blood*; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005658:Fungi / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D006813:Humidity / Q000009:adverse effects; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009181:Mycoses / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology*; D012130:Respiratory Hypersensitivity / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology; D012574:Schools; D012852:Sinusitis / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology*; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
D000908:Antibodies, Fungal; D007074:Immunoglobulin G