Exposure to bioaerosols can induce pulmonary diseases and subjective symptoms in humans and animals. Some of these diseases are of inflammatory origin, such as organic dust toxic syndrome or chronic bronchitis.
Here we describe an in vitro assay - a human whole blood assay - that can be used to estimate the inflammatory potency of bioaerosol samples. With the whole blood assay the inflammation reaction that bioaerosols cause in the respiratory tract is reproduced. The assay is able to detect a broad spectrum of macrophage activating substances and not only endotoxins as with the Limulus assay.
Holt PG : Inflammation in organic dust-induced lung disease: new approaches for research into underlying mechanisms . Am J Ind Med1990;17: 47-54 .
2.
Rylander R : Organic dusts - from knowledge to prevention . Scand J Work Environ Health1994;20: 116-122 .
3.
Rylander R : Evaluation of the risks of endotoxin exposures . Int J Occup Environ Health1997;3(Suppl): 32-36 .
4.
Hartung T , Wendel A : Die Erfassung von Pyrogenen in einem humanen Vollblutmodell . Altex1995;12: 70-75 .
5.
Weigandt M: Der Humane Vollblut-Pyrogen-test. Dissertation, Ruprecht-Karls-Universität, Heidelberg, 2000.
6.
Dutkiewicz J : Exposure to dust-borne bacteria in agriculture . J Environ Studies Arch Environ Health1978;33: 250-259 .
7.
Chai T, Müller W, Zucker BA: Untersuchungen zum Luftkeimhaushalt in Tierställen 1. Mitteilung: Der anaerobe Luftkeimgehalt in Tierställen unter besonderer Berücksichtigung von Clostridium perfringens. Berl Münch Tierärztl Wochenschr 1997;110:1-4.
8.
Zucker BA , Trojan S , Müller W : Airborne gram-negative bacterial flora in animal houses . J Vet Med B2000;47: 37-46 .
9.
Brachman PS , Ehrlich R , Eichenwald HF , Gabelli VJ , Kethley TW , Madin SH , Maltman JR , Middlebrook G , Morton JD , Siver IH , Wolfe EK : Standard sampler for assay of airborne micro-organisms . Science1964;144: 1295 .
10.
Fennrich S , Fischer M , Hartung T , Lexa P , Montag-Lessing T : Entwicklung und Evaluierung eines Pyrogentests mit menschlichem Blut . ALTEX1998;15: 123-128 .
