Moisture Damage and Asthma: A Birth Cohort Study

Fungi are ubiquitous microorganisms that are present in outdoor and indoor environments. Previous research has found relationships between environmental fungal exposures and human health effects. We reviewed recent articles focused on fungal exposure and dampness as risk factors for respiratory disease development, symptoms and hypersensitivity. In particular, we reviewed the evidence suggesting that early exposure to dampness or fungi is associated with development of asthma and increased asthma morbidity. While outdoor exposure to high concentrations of spores can cause health effects such as asthma attacks in association with thunderstorms, most people appear to be relatively unaffected unless they are sensitized to specific genera. Indoor exposure and dampness, on the other hand, appears to be associated with increased risk of developing asthma in young children and asthma morbidity in individuals who have asthma. These are important issues because they provide a rationale for interventions that might be considered for homes and buildings in which there is increased fungal exposure. In addition to rhinitis and asthma, fungus exposure is associated with a number of other illnesses including allergic bronchopulmonary mycoses, allergic fungal sinusitis and hypersensitivity pneumonitis. Additional research is necessary to establish causality and evaluate interventions for fungal and dampness-related health effects.

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“…26 442 children were followed. A trained civil engineer conducted a home inspection when the child was 5 months old.…”

Section: Indoor Fungal Exposure and The Risk Of Developing Asthmamentioning

confidence: 99%

Exposure and Health Effects of Fungi on Humans

Larenas‐Linnemann

Barnes²,

Baxi

et al. 2016

The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice

178

123

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“…The exact methodology of the home inspection has been described earlier and in detail. 7 In short, the homes (N = 413) were inspected by a civil engineer for the signs of moisture and mold in the surfaces and the structures without opening the structures using a predesigned checklist and surface moisture meter (Doser BS2; Doser Messtechnik GmbH & Co., Füssen, Germany) when the children were 5 months old on average.…”

Section: Questionnaires and Home Inspectionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…7,15 Briefly, "no damage" corresponded to "need for repair" classes 0 and 1 which was defined as no need for repair or only cosmetic repair. "Major damage" included (i) a need for repair class 2 (a repair of surface materials needed) with the area of damage ≥1 m 2 , (ii) a need for repair class 3 (a repair of structural components needed) with the area of damage ≥0.1 m 2 or (iii) a need for repair class 4 or 5 (more extensive repair needed).…”

Section: Exposure Assessmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Early age exposure to moisture damage and systemic inflammation at the age of 6 years

et al. 2018

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Cross‐sectional studies have shown that exposure to indoor moisture damage and mold may be associated with subclinical inflammation. Our aim was to determine whether early age exposure to moisture damage or mold is prospectively associated with subclinical systemic inflammation or with immune responsiveness in later childhood. Home inspections were performed in children's homes in the first year of life. At age 6 years, subclinical systemic inflammation was measured by serum C‐reactive protein (CRP) and blood leukocytes and immune responsiveness by ex vivo production of interleukin 1‐beta (IL‐1β), IL‐6, and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF‐α) in whole blood cultures without stimulation or after 24 hours stimulation with phorbol 12‐myristate 13‐acetate and ionomycin (PI), lipopolysaccharide (LPS), or peptidoglycan (PPG) in 251‐270 children. Moisture damage in child's main living areas in infancy was not significantly associated with elevated levels of CRP or leukocytes at 6 years. In contrast, there was some suggestion for an effect on immune responsiveness, as moisture damage with visible mold was positively associated with LPS‐stimulated production of TNF‐α and minor moisture damage was inversely associated with PI‐stimulated IL‐1β. While early life exposure to mold damage may have some influence on later immune responsiveness, it does not seem to increase subclinical systemic inflammation in later life.

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“…In numerous studies, residential fungal exposures have been associated with asthma exacerbations and severity [142, 158, 163, 164•, 166, 167]. Although most of the asthma-related studies have been case-control studies or cross-sectional in nature, supporting data has also emerged from birth cohort studies [142, 158, 164•, 168–170]. In a recent study, asthma severity in atopic children was associated with fungal community composition, whereas in non-atopic children asthma severity was related to levels of total fungi, suggesting that effects of fungal exposures may differ by asthma subtypes [167].…”

Section: Bedroom Allergen Exposuresmentioning

confidence: 99%

Bedroom Allergen Exposure Beyond House Dust Mites

Salo

Cohn²,

Zeldin

2018

Curr Allergy Asthma Rep

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Purpose of the review: The review provides insight into recent findings on bedroom allergen exposures, primarily focusing on pet, pest and fungal exposures. Recent findings: Large-scale studies and improved exposure assessment technologies, including measurement of airborne allergens and of multiple allergens simultaneously, has extended our understanding of indoor allergen exposures and their impact on allergic disease. Practical, streamlined methods for exposure reduction have shown promise in some settings, and potential protective effects of early-life exposures have been further elucidated through the investigation of specific bacterial taxa. Advances in molecular allergology have yielded novel data on sensitization profiles and cross-reactivity. Summary: The role of indoor allergen exposures in allergic disease is complex and remains incompletely understood. Advancing our knowledge of various co-exposures, including the environmental and host microbiome, that interact with allergens in early life will be crucial for the development of efficacious interventions to reduce the substantial economic and social burden of allergic diseases including asthma.

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Moisture Damage and Asthma: A Birth Cohort Study

Cited by 85 publications

References 24 publications

Exposure and Health Effects of Fungi on Humans

Exposure and Health Effects of Fungi on Humans

Early age exposure to moisture damage and systemic inflammation at the age of 6 years

Bedroom Allergen Exposure Beyond House Dust Mites

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