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Allergenicity of airborne basidiospores and ascospores: need for further studies

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Abstract

Many known fungal species are grouped among basidiomycetes and ascomycetes. Active mechanisms of spore release into air currents are among the main features of these fungi. Aerobiological studies have described their presence in many regions worldwide. In some areas, fungi have been described as the predominant outdoor airborne biological particulate with much higher concentrations than pollen. Other studies have determined that among the fungal aerospora, the highest concentrations belong to basidiospores and ascospores. Nevertheless, the allergenic potential of spores from basidiomycetes and meiotic forms of ascomycetes has not been studied to the extent of mitosporic fungi and allergens from other sources. The need to further evaluate the role of basidiomycetes and meiotic ascomycetes in allergies is evidenced by the few genera with characterized allergens and limited studies that had demonstrated levels of sensitization similar or higher to that of mitosporic fungi and other allergens. In this review, based on the existing aerobiological, epidemiological, immunological, and molecular biology studies, we provide evidence that the role of basidiomycetes and ascomycetes deserves more attention with respect to their roles as potential aeroallergens.

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Abbreviations

AR:

Allergic rhinitis

Asco:

Ascospores

AS:

Asthma

Basid:

Basidiospores

Deutero:

Deuteromycetes/mitosporic fungi

H/F:

Hyphae and fragments

IgE:

Immunoglobulin E

NAR:

Nonallergic rhinitis

unID:

Particles not able to be identified

WHO/IUIS:

World Health Organization and International Union of Immunological Societies Allergen Nomenclature Sub-committee

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Acknowledgments

We are very grateful of Dr. Deborah J. Lodge, from the Forest Mycology Research USDA-Forest Service, Forest Products Laboratory at the El Yunque National Rain Forest (Rio Grande, Puerto Rico), for providing great images of basidiomycetes. We also are very thankful of Dr. Patrick N. Breysse, postdoctoral advisor at Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, for his helpful revision of this manuscript.

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The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose.

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Correspondence to Félix E. Rivera-Mariani.

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Félix E. Rivera-Mariani and Benjamín Bolaños-Rosero contributed equally to this work.

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Rivera-Mariani, F.E., Bolaños-Rosero, B. Allergenicity of airborne basidiospores and ascospores: need for further studies. Aerobiologia 28, 83–97 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10453-011-9234-y

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