This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. This is a single-site, investigator-initiated study regarding the filamentous mold, Stachybotrys chartarum. S. chartarum requires water-saturated cellulose to grow and is often found in an indoor environment as an indicator of significant water intrusion and damage. S. chartarum produces several classes of mycotoxins, and of greatest concern are macrocyclic trichothecenes. These mycotoxins bind to a single binding site on eukaryotic ribosomes and directly inhibit either initiation, elongation, or termination of protein synthesis depending on which trichothecene is bound. Concerns have been raised that chronic indoor exposure, mainly inhalation of the fungal spores containing mycotoxins, could result in a variety of debilitating respiratory and non-respiratory symptoms. However there is controversy on the toxic mold-related health effects. Finding Stachybotrys in a patient's home or work environment remains circumstantial evidence without a biological marker documenting the extent and timing of the exposure. This study proposes to develop practical quantitative biomarker assays for satratoxin-albumin and hemoglobin adducts. Blood samples will undergo exhaustive proteolysis and immunoaffinity chromatography with analyses by mass spectrometry and radioimmunoassay. Similar assays will be developed for related urinary metabolites. Once there is confidence in the above biomarker analyses, validation will be sought using blood and urine of subjects with documented exposure to S. chartarum. Ten children (greater than 8 years old) and adults (up to age 60 years old) who have had a recent exposure to S. chartarum will be recruited from the Environmental Health Clinic and asked to donate 5ml of whole blood and a single voiding of urine. There is also a control population of ten subjects consisting of a mixture of other patients (8-60 years old) seen in the Environmental Health Clinic without known mold exposure and healthy control subjects recruited by the investigator. The GCRC is being utilized for blood drawing and urine collection from only the non-patient control subjects.
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