title: A new method to measure air-borne pyrogens based on human whole blood cytokine response.
abstract: Air-borne microorganisms, as well as their fragments and components, are increasingly recognized to be associated with pulmonary diseases, e.g. organic dust toxic syndrome, humidifier lung, building-related illness, "Monday sickness." We have previously described and validated a new method for the detection of pyrogenic (fever-inducing) microbial contaminations in injectable drugs, based on the inflammatory reaction of human blood to pyrogens. We have now adapted this test to evaluate the total inflammatory capacity of air samples. Air was drawn onto PTFE membrane filters, which were incubated with human whole blood from healthy volunteers inside the collection device. Cytokine release was measured by ELISA. The test detects endotoxins and non-endotoxins, such as fungal spores, Gram-positive bacteria and their lipoteichoic acid moiety and pyrogenic dust particles with high sensitivity, thus reflecting the total inflammatory capacity of a sample. When air from different surroundings such as working environments and animal housing was assayed, the method yielded reproducible data which correlated with other parameters of microbial burden tested. We further developed a standard material for quantification and showed that this assay can be performed with cryopreserved as well as fresh blood. The method offers a test to measure the integral inflammatory capacity of air-borne microbial contaminations relevant to humans. It could thus be employed to assess air quality in different living and work environments.
authors.affiliation: Biochemical Pharmacology, University of Konstanz, POB M655, 78457 Konstanz, Germany.
authors.forename: Ilona
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kindinger
authors.forename: Mardas
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Daneshian
authors.forename: Hans
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Baur
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Gabrio
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hofmann
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fennrich
authors.forename: Sonja
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: von Aulock
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hartung
mesh_terms: D000391:Air Microbiology; D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D016902:Air Pollution, Indoor; D000818:Animals; D001681:Biological Assay / Q000379:methods*; D016207:Cytokines / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000097:blood; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D006801:Humans; D011749:Pyrogens / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D016207:Cytokines; D011749:Pyrogens