Deuteromycete aerobiology and skin-reactivity patterns - A two year, concurrent study in Corpus Christi, Texas, USA

Baseline aerobiologic data of known and potentially allergenic deuteromycet es in Corpus Christi, Texas, USA, are presented concurrent with analyses of patient skin-reactivity (November 1987-October 1988 & November 1988-Octobe r 1989). Species representations of deuteromycete spores and their relative abundance were similar for two years. Three distinct groupings were discer ned: Cladosporium (representing 80% of total spores) showed weekly averages predominantly in 1000-5000/m(3) range; Alternaria (7.8%), Aspergillus/Peni cillium (5.3%) and Torula (0.8%) at primarily 500-1000/m(3) level; and Epir occum (1.3%), Fusarium (1.3%), Nigrospora (1.3%), Stemphylium (0.6%), Drech slera (0.5%), Curvularia (0.2%), Pithomyces (0.1%) and other minor genera, mostly in 100-500/m(3) range. Spore-bursts were recorded for all deuteromyc etes with extreme spore-burst capture most prevalent among sporadic spores (e.g., Curvularia and Torula). Two-thirds of the 602 atopic persons were sk in-test positive to 1 or more of the 10 deuteromycete extracts. Alternaria, Cladosporium, Curvularia and Epicoccum elicited highest skin-reactivities (31.2% to 32.1%), despite wide disparity in spore concentration. Twenty-sev en percent of patients were positive to Nigrospora and Stemphylium. Signifi cant paired skin-reactivities of several deuteromycetes were detected using Kendall's Tau-beta correlation coefficient. Factor Analysis of skin reacti vity revealed two groupings, suggestive of crossreactivity: Factor Group 1 consisted of Curvularia, Epicoccum, Fusarium, Cladosporium, Alternaria and Aspergillus extracts (Factor Loadings 0.56 to 0.86); Factor Group 2 include d Helminthosporium, Nigrospora, Penicillium, Alternaria and Stemphylium ext racts (0.45 to 0.76). High inherent allergenicity, strong cross-reactivitie s of shared or closely related allergens, and micro-environmental factors s uch as exposure to uniquely high spore concentrations or bursts, may help e xplain the major dissimilarities between spore capture and patient sensitiz ation in Corpus Christi.