Bedroom air quality and vacuuming frequency are associated with repeat child asthma hospital admissions

Objective: Indoor environment factors have been associated with risk of asthma exacerbations in children but little is known about their role on asthma hospital readmissions. As children in Western societies continually spend more time indoors, understanding the influence of these factors on asthma exacerbation is important. We examined the role of indoor environmental and lifestyle characteristics on child asthma readmissions. Methods: A hospital-based case–control study recruited 22 children readmitted for asthma and 22 controls not readmitted for asthma. Logistic regression models were used to examine the association between aeroallergens and fungi in the bedroom and indoor lifestyle characteristics factors for asthma readmissions. To determine the best possible set of predictors among a large set of risk factors, we used random forests (RF) techniques. Results: Higher levels of airborne Cladosporium and yeast in the child’s bedroom increased risk of readmission (OR?=?1.68, 95% CI 1.04–2.72 and OR?=?1.52, 95% CI 0.99–2.34, respectively). Carpeted floors in the bedroom and synthetic doonas were also associated with increase in asthma readmissions (OR?=?4.07, 95% CI 1.03–16.06 and OR?=?14.6, 95% CI 1.26–169.4, respectively). In the home, frequent vacuuming using bagged cleaners increased risk of asthma readmission OR?=?15.7 (95% CI 2.82–87.2). Conclusions: Factors in the child’s bedroom play an important role in increasing the risk of asthma hospital readmissions. These findings have major clinical implications as the identified potential risk factors may be modifiable. Further epidemiological studies with larger samples are necessary to evaluate these associations further.     

Perangustols A and B,a pair of new azaphilone epimers from a marine sediment-derived fungus Cladosporium perangustm FS62

A pair of new azaphilone epimers, perangustols A-B (1–2), and two new natural products (3–4), together with two known metabolites (5–6) were isolated from the culture of the marine sediment-derived fungus Cladosporium perangustum FS62. The structures of these compounds were established on the basis of extensive spectroscopic analysis. The isolated compounds (1–6) were evaluated for their cytotoxic activities against the SF-268, MCF-7, NCI-H460, and HepG-2 tumor cell lines. Nonetheless, no significant activity was observed.     

枝孢样枝孢所致皮肤暗色丝孢霉病一例

目的报道国内首见枝孢样枝孢所致的皮肤暗色丝孢霉病1例。方法患者女，49岁，右臀部肿块近2年，瘢痕纤维化的同时有新的肿块形成，并形成囊肿坏死、窦道形成，皮肤表面破损，大量渗液，触痛明显，皮损边界基本清晰。从患者皮损取材、涂片及培养。并经致病性研究重现组织病理学特征。结果培养菌落呈绒状，橄榄绿到橄榄棕色，反面为橄榄黑色。显微镜下，分生孢子梗末端和外侧可产生枝状分生孢子链，分生孢子椭圆形或柠檬形。壁光滑。根据直接镜检和培养的菌落形态及显微镜下分生孢子的大小、形态、排列及培养温度试验等特征，鉴定为枝孢样枝孢。结论该病例为国内首报的由枝孢样枝孢引起的暗色丝孢霉病。     

PCR结合基因扫描分析技术对几种深部真菌病致病菌的快速检测及鉴定

目的 用PCR法快速鉴定22种(23株)深部真菌病致病菌种。方法 应用荧光标记的真菌通用引物ITS4与ITS86对22种(23株)深部真菌病致病菌种的菌悬液进行PCR扩增，扩增产物经ABI PRISM^TM377测序仪及基因扫描分析软件精确测定片段大小，与对照组——相应菌种采用传统方法抽提DNA后扩增片段的扫描分析结果相对照。结果 ①17种致病菌种菌悬液经ITS4、ITS86扩增出单一的片段(除了构巢曲霉和黑曲霉、白念珠菌和类星形念珠菌、裴氏着色真菌和皮炎外瓶霉片段长度相同)。②菌悬液扩增片段的扫描分析结果与其DNA扩增结果相近，差异无显著性。③整个检定过程仅需6h。结论 采用ITS通用引物及菌悬液PCR检测法，结合基因扫描分析技术可准确、特异、快速、敏感地检测并鉴定出22种深部真菌病致病菌种，这将有望成为快速诊断深部真菌病的一种方法。     

着色芽生菌病患者污染环境的实验研究

用着色芽生菌病患者皮损内的脓液污染活树皮、腐木、锯末、麦秆、沙土和黄土，可见皮损内的着色芽生菌厚壁孢子能在上述物质中很快转成菌丝相，并可与多种杂菌共生。从中分离出卡氏枝抱霉纯培养，污染后第２８天分离阳性率达５２．２％。结果提示着色芽生菌病患者排出体外的病原菌能污染环境，这种污染作用是造成此病地区性流行的原因之一。     

A Double-Blind, Multicenter Immunotherapy Trial in Children, Using a Purified and Standardized Cladosporium herbarum Preparation I. Clinical Results

A double-blind histamine placebo controlled immunotherapy trial was performed to investigate the clinical effect of a purified and standardized Cladosporium herbarum allergen preparation. Thirty children with a clinical history suggesting mould-induced asthma and/or rhinoconjunctivitis were included. The diagnosis was confirmed by positive skin prick test and Phadebas RAST as well as positive bronchial and/or conjunctival provocation test to Cladosporium herbarum. Immunotherapy was given for 10 months in a double-blind manner to randomized groups with either Pharmalgen/Cladosporium herbarum preparation or histamine placebo. Allergic side effects to injections were common, especially during the peak of the mould season (July-September in Scandinavia). In the active group, 13/16 patients experienced general reactions during the first 10 months of treatment. After 6 months of treatment, eye, nose and bronchial symptom scores and peak expiratory flow rates were similar for the groups, maybe because most of the children were also sensitive to many other allergens, including Alternaria alternata. However, medication scores were significantly lower in the treated group (P less than 0.01). Bronchial (P less than 0.01) and conjunctival sensitivity (P = 0.01) were significantly reduced in the Cladosporium-treated group but not in the placebo group after 10 months of treatment. This is the first double-blind clinical trial showing the clinical efficacy of immunotherapy in children with mould-induced asthma.     

淋巴管型着色芽生菌病1例

52岁男性农民，左手臂沿淋巴管排列损害4年。损害由结节和时间 红色浸润斑块覆污秽色痂组成，部分损害表面有黑点。临床表现酷似淋巴管型孢子丝菌病。直接镜检和组织病理见棕色厚壁孢子，培养证实病原菌为卡氏支孢霉。诊断为卡氏支孢霉所致皮肤着色芽生菌病。     

Diagnosis and immunotherapy of mould allergy

The interrelation of in vitro IgE-mediated parameters, i.e. serum-specific IgE (RAST), basophil cell-bound specific IgE, and histamine release from basophil leucocytes was investigated in a 1-year placebo-controlled, double-blind Cladosporium immunotherapy study involving 22 adult asthmatics. The intense and early burst (within 6 weeks of immunotherapy) of serum-specific IgE did not result in a corresponding increased binding of specific IgE molecules to basophils. Cell-bound IgE increased in the Cladosporium season in both groups at the same time as serum levels of specific IgE declined in the Cladosporium group. In the placebo group histamine release from circulating basophils paralleled changes in basophil-bound IgE. In Cladosporium-treated patients, histamine release cell sensitivity after a lag phase (during immunotherapy dose-increase) declined two log steps, i.e. the cells became less responding in spite of a significant increase in cell-bound IgE. To further evaluate the sensitizing capacity of circulating specific IgE, passive sensitization studies were performed using basophils from a single donor. Although sera taken at the maximal IgE-response showed an enhanced capacity of passive sensitization, the ratio between RAST and passive sensitization capacity increased significantly in Cladosporium-treated patients, implying a less than expected sensitization capacity of immunotherapy-induced specific IgE. The lack of active binding of IgE to basophils might be explained by a reduced Fc-affinity of immunotherapy-induced IgE in contrast to the Cladosporium-seasonally induced IgE. Regarding the decrease in histamine release in Cladosporium-treated patients in spite of an increased amount of cell-bound specific IgE, immunotherapy may initiate a decrease in mediator releasibility which is not caused by a reduction in the number of Fc-receptors but rather some yet unknown subcellular mechanisms regulating the histamine release. The described changes in IgE-mediated parameters do not seem to be caused by interference with either specific IgG1 or IgG4. Changes in histamine release in the Cladosporium season were the only IgE-mediated parameter significantly related to the graded clinical efficacy of immunotherapy.     

A Double-Blind, Multicenter Immunotherapy Trial in Children, Using a Purified and Standardized Cladosporium herbarum Preparation II. In Vitro Results

This double-blind immunotherapy trial in children, using a purified and standardized Cladosporium herbarum allergen preparation, has shown that children with mould asthma and/or rhinoconjunctivitis, responded to immunotherapy with a decrease in specific IgE and a significant increase in specific IgG. There was a marked increase in the ratio specific IgG/specific IgE as a result of active treatment. IgE-CRIE radiostaining patterns showed no pronounced changes after 10 months' active treatment and no "new sensitivities" could be detected in the studied patients. IgG-CRIE radiostaining, primarily directed towards the important allergens, was significantly increased in the active group and particularly towards Ag-12 (partially identical to a previously described major allergen in Cladosporium herbarum, Ag-54). Children treated with histamine placebo showed no change in antibody patterns during 10 months of treatment.