Impact of Aspergillus fumigatus in allergic airway diseases

Abstract

For decades, fungi have been recognized as associated with asthma and other reactive airway diseases. In contrast to type I-mediated allergies caused by pollen, fungi cause a large number of allergic diseases such as allergic bronchopulmonary mycoses, rhinitis, allergic sinusitis and hypersensitivity pneumonitis. Amongst the fungi, Aspergillus fumigatus is the most prevalent cause of severe pulmonary allergic disease, including allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA), known to be associated with chronic lung injury and deterioration in pulmonary function in people with chronic asthma and cystic fibrosis (CF). The goal of this review is to discuss new understandings of host-pathogen interactions in the genesis of allergic airway diseases caused by A. fumigatus. Host and pathogen related factors that participate in triggering the inflammatory cycle leading to pulmonary exacerbations in ABPA are discussed.

Aspergillus fumigatus transcriptome response to a higher temperature during the earliest steps of germination monitored using a new customized expression microarray

“…However, comparison of the findings between studies is very difficult owing to the use of different fungal species or time intervals. However, in previous studies, some metabolic pathways were found to be related to virulence, namely those for gliotoxin (Bok et al, 2006;Scharf et al, 2012), iron metabolism (Schrettl et al, 2007(Schrettl et al, , 2010Haas, 2012) and allergens (Chaudhary & Marr, 2011;Low et al, 2011). Analysing these findings together with our results, we found significant differences in expression for some genes involved in these pathways and the results were validated by RT-qPCR assays (Fig.…”

Aspergillus Collagen-Like Genes ( acl ): Identification, Sequence Polymorphism, and Assessment for PCR-Based Pathogen Detection

“…Aspergillus spp. are also potent inducers of complex hypersensitivities such as allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis in up to 15% of cystic fibrosis patients (10,11), and this group has also been known to cause life-threatening allergic episodes in 12% to 40% of asthmatic patients (10,12). The ubiquitous nature of Aspergillus conidia may further exacerbate respiratory morbidity, with an average inhalation rate of A. fumigatus spores alone being as high as 10 4 conidia/m 3 /day in certain environments (1).…”

Allergic Inflammation in Aspergillus fumigatus-Induced Fungal Asthma

“…However, in situations where innate barriers fail to eliminate the fungi, very serious disease can ensue. Sensitivity to the fungus, Aspergillus fumigatus, has been associated with severe persistent asthma in adults [5,6].…”