Abstract
To date, no study has effectively demonstrated a direct human exposure to mycotoxins in mold-contaminated buildings. Therefore, the authors investigated the presence of trichothecene mycotoxins in sera from individuals exposed to indoor molds (specifically Stachybotrys chartarum). Sera from occupants of contaminated (test samples, n = 44) and uncontaminated (control samples, n = 26) buildings were analyzed using a competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) highly specific for macrocyclic trichothecenes. Twenty-three samples were significantly different (p < 0.05) from normal human serum tested in the same manner, whereas only 1 of the control samples tested positive. Mass spectrometry analysis could not confirm the presence of intact S. chartarum macrocyclic trichothecenes. The authors hypothesize that this result was caused by uncharacterized ELISA-reactive metabolic breakdown products. Data from this study suggest that trichothecene mycotoxins can be demonstrated in the tissues of certain individuals exposed to S. chartarum in contaminated buildings.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 317-323 |
| Number of pages | 7 |
| Journal | Archives of Environmental Health |
| Volume | 58 |
| Issue number | 6 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Jun 2003 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Environmental exposure
- Mold
- Mycotoxins
- Serum
- Stachybotrys chartarum>
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Environmental Chemistry
- General Environmental Science
- Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health
- Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis