title: Microbial exposure and mold-specific serum IgG levels among children with respiratory symptoms in 2 school buildings.
abstract: In this study, the authors determined the association between serum mold-specific immunoglobulin G (IgG) levels in primary school children (N = 181) with asthma, wheezing, or cough symptoms and exposure to indoor mold in 2 schools, with and without mold damage. Microbial exposure was determined with environmental sampling. Serum IgG antibody concentrations against 24 microbial strains were determined with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Children's microbe-specific IgG levels were often higher in the reference school. There was an association between elevated serum IgG antibody levels to Penicillium notatum and moisture damage in the school. In addition, moisture damage both in school and at home was associated with Penicillium notatum and Eurotium amstelodami IgG levels. These observations comported with microbial findings in the index school. No other positive associations between IgG antibodies and microbial findings for the school buildings were observed. IgG levels in sera of school children did not provide a specific means for assessing the microbial exposure associated with moisture and microbial problems in the school buildings. Thus, IgG analysis cannot be readily suggested as a routine method for the evaluation of these exposures.
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Health, National Public Health Institute (KTL), Kuopio, Finland. Anne.Hyvarinen@ktl.fi
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hyvärinen
authors.forename: Tuula
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Husman
authors.forename: Sirpa
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Laitinen
authors.forename: Teija
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Meklin
authors.forename: Taina
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Taskinen
authors.forename: Matti
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Korppi
authors.forename: Aino
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nevalainen
mesh_terms: D016902:Air Pollution, Indoor / Q000009:adverse effects*; D001249:Asthma / Q000209:etiology*; D002648:Child; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003371:Cough / Q000209:etiology*; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D010408:Penicillium chrysogenum / Q000276:immunology / Q000472:pathogenicity; D012135:Respiratory Sounds / Q000209:etiology*; D012574:Schools; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014867:Water
chemical_list: D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D014867:Water