Pollution of mycological surfaces in hospital emergency departments correlates positively with blood NKT CD3(+) 16(+) 56(+) and negatively with CD4(+) cell levels of their staff.
The aim of the present study was the assessment of the putative influence of yeast and filamentous fungi in healthcare and control (office) workplaces (10 of each kind) on immune system competence measured by NK (natural killer), CD4(+), and NKT (natural killer T lymphocyte) cell levels in the blood of the personnel employed at these workplaces. Imprints from floors and walls were collected in winter. The blood was taken in spring the following year, from 40 men, 26 to 53 years old, healthcare workers of hospital emergency departments (HED), who had been working for at least five years in their current positions, and from 36 corresponding controls, working in control offices. Evaluation of blood leukocyte subpopulations was done by flow cytometry. The qualitative analysis of the surface samples revealed a prevalence of strains belonging to Aspergillus spp. and Penicillium spp. genus. There was no statistically significant difference between the level of NKT; however, the percentage of NK cells was lower in the blood of HED workers than in the blood of offices personnel. Spearman analysis revealed the existence of positive correlation (r = 0.4677, p = 0.002) between the total CFU/25 cm(2) obtained by imprinting method from walls and floors of HED and the percentage of NKT (CD3(+)16(+)56(+)) lymphocytes collected from the blood of their personnel, and negative correlation (r = -0. 3688, p = 0.019) between this parameter of fungal pollution and the percentage of CD4(+) lymphocytes in the blood of HED staff. No other correlations were found.
Department of Regenerative Medicine, Military Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology, Warsaw, Poland.
Milena
M
Suska
Department of Regenerative Medicine, Military Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology, Warsaw, Poland.
Sławomir
S
Lewicki
Department of Regenerative Medicine, Military Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology, Warsaw, Poland.
Anna
A
Kiepura
Laboratory of Epidemiology, Military Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology, Warsaw, Poland.
Izabela
I
Winnicka
Department of Regenerative Medicine, Military Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology, Warsaw, Poland.
Paweł
P
Leszczyński
Biological Threats Identification and Countermeasure Centre, Military Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology, Warsaw, Poland.
Agata
A
Bielawska-Drózd
Biological Threats Identification and Countermeasure Centre, Military Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology, Warsaw, Poland.
Piotr
P
Cieślik
Laboratory of Epidemiology, Military Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology, Warsaw, Poland.
Leszek
L
Kubiak
Laboratory of Epidemiology, Military Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology, Warsaw, Poland.
Daria
D
Depczyńska
Laboratory of Epidemiology, Military Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology, Warsaw, Poland.
Aleksandra
A
Brewczyńska
Department of Regenerative Medicine, Military Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology, Warsaw, Poland; Pathomorphology Department, Biostructure Centrum, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland.
Ewa
E
Skopińska-Różewska
Department of Regenerative Medicine, Military Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology, Warsaw, Poland.
Janusz
J
Kocik
CD4 lymphocytes; NK cells; NKT blood lymphocytes; emergency departments; fungi; healthcare workers; offices staff