[Airborne fungi and sensitization in atopic individuals in Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil].
OBJECTIVE
To identify and quantify the fungal spores in the atmospheric air of Porto Alegre and to assess sensitization to these allergens in atopic individuals suffering from rhinitis and asthma.


METHODS
A total of 52 samples were obtained using a Rotorod Sampler  from April 2000 through March 20001. Allergy skin tests with anemophilous fungus allergens as well as fluorimmunoenzymatic tests were performed in 39 atopic individuals with rhinitis and asthma in order to detect the incidence of respiratory allergies caused by these airborne fungi.


RESULTS
In the 3773 fungal spores detected in this study, there was a prevalence of ascosporos (50.49%), Cladosporium (17.86%), Aspergillus/Penicillium (15.03%), basidiosporos (3.84%), rusts (3.82%), and Helminthosporium (2.49%), as well as a lesser frequency of Botrytis (1.22%), Alternaria (1.19%), smuts (0.90%), Curvularia (0.87%), Nigrospora (0.61%), and Fusarium (0.08%). Sixty spores (1.59%) detected here could not be identified by the systematic key used. Among the atopic individuals tested, 15.38% were found to be sensitized by these anemophilous fungi allergens.


CONCLUSIONS
The occurrence of a great number of fungal spores emphasizes the importance of studying anemophilous fungi locally, since they are responsible for 15.38% of allergic sensitization in atopic individuals with asthma and rhinitis.
Mezzari
Adelina
A
Fundação Faculdade Fedeeral de Ciências Médicas de Porto Alegre- Brasil.
Perin
Christiano
C
Santos Júnior
Sidnei Alves
SA
Bernd
Luiz Antonio Guerra
LA
Di Gesu
Giovani
G
D000391:Air Microbiology; D000485:Allergens / Q000276:immunology*; D000908:Antibodies, Fungal / Q000097:blood; D001249:Asthma / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D006801:Humans; D006967:Hypersensitivity / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology*; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000097:blood; D003904:Mitosporic Fungi / Q000276:immunology* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D015995:Prevalence; D012221:Rhinitis, Allergic, Perennial / Q000276:immunology; D012882:Skin Tests; D013172:Spores, Fungal / Q000276:immunology*
D000485:Allergens; D000908:Antibodies, Fungal; D007073:Immunoglobulin E