title: Endotoxin and β-(1,3)-glucan levels in automobiles: a pilot study.
abstract: Exposure to bacterial endotoxin and fungal β-(1,3)-glucan in the indoor environment can induce respiratory symptoms. Automobiles are an exposure source of allergens but it is not known if, and how much exposure there is to endotoxin and fungal β-(1,3)-glucan. The objective of the study was to determine whether automobiles are a potential source of exposure to these microbial products. Dust was sampled from the passenger seats of 40 automobiles. Specific Limulus amoebocyte kinetic assays were used to measure endotoxin and β-(1,3)-glucan, respectively. Endotoxin and β-(1,3)-glucan was detected in all samples ranging from 19.9-247.0 EU/mg and 1.6-59.8 μg/g, respectively. There were no significant differences in endotoxin levels between automobiles of smokers and non-smokers, but β-(1,3)-glucan levels were about two-fold higher in the automobiles of non-smokers. In conclusion, endotoxin and β-(1,3)-glucan exposure in automobiles at levels found in our study may be of importance for asthmatics.
authors.affiliation: Changhua Christian Hospital, Changhua City, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Francis Fu-Sheng
authors.initials: FF
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Mei-Wen
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Chin-Fu
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Shu-Mei
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Lai
authors.forename: Nevil
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Pierse
authors.forename: Julian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Crane
authors.forename: Rob
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Siebers
mesh_terms: D016902:Air Pollution, Indoor / Q000032:analysis*; D001336:Automobiles; D004731:Endotoxins / Q000032:analysis*; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000032:analysis*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011446:Prospective Studies; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D047071:beta-Glucans / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D004731:Endotoxins; D047071:beta-Glucans