Indoor Endotoxin and Glucan in Association with Airway Inflammation and Systemic Symptoms

Indoor bioaerosols (i.e., bacteria, fungi, endotoxin, and β-1,3-glucan) were determined in daycare centers, office buildings, and domestic environments in the Taipei area. In addition, we used a questionnaire survey to determine associations between indoor dampness, bioaerosols, and airway inflammat...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Archives of environmental health 1999-05, Vol.54 (3), p.172-179
Main Authors: Wan, Gwo-Hwa, Li, Chih-Shan
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
aerosols
Air
Air Pollutants - analysis
Air Pollution, Indoor
airborne microorganisms
Biological and medical sciences
Child
Child Day Care Centers
China
Confidence Intervals
daycare
Endotoxins - analysis
Environmental Monitoring - methods
Environmental pollutants toxicology
Fatigue - etiology
Female
glucan
Glucans - analysis
Humans
Humidity
Male
Medical sciences
Middle Aged
Odds Ratio
Respiratory Tract Diseases - etiology
Sick Building Syndrome - diagnosis
Sleep Stages
Surveys and Questionnaires
Taiwan, Taipei
Toxicology
Workplace
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Summary:Indoor bioaerosols (i.e., bacteria, fungi, endotoxin, and β-1,3-glucan) were determined in daycare centers, office buildings, and domestic environments in the Taipei area. In addition, we used a questionnaire survey to determine associations between indoor dampness, bioaerosols, and airway inflammation and systemic symptoms. We demonstrated that the median levels of indoor bacteria and fungi were the highest in daycare centers, followed by those in homes and office buildings. Similar patterns were observed for endotoxin and β-1,3-glucan. The prevalences of airway inflammation and systemic symptoms were higher for females in office buildings than for employees in daycare centers; all symptoms were more prevalent in females than males. With respect to the relationship between bioaerosol exposure and airway inflammation and systemic symptoms, we found a strong association between β-1,3-glucan and lethargy/fatigue.
ISSN:0003-9896
2331-4303
DOI:10.1080/00039899909602256